Tasmanian Business Reporter December 2018

Tasmanian Business Reporter - DECEMBER 2018 7
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Trade agreement will
boost market access
Sally
Chandler
Tradestart Adviser
THE regional free trade agreement,
the Trans-Pacific Partnership
will enter into force on December
30 when the first tariff
cut will start.
Australia is the sixth country
to ratify the agreement joining
Canada, Japan, Mexico, New
Zealand and Singapore as part
of the first group of signatories.
The signatories that have not
yet ratified the agreement are
Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia,
Peru and Vietnam.
On January 1, 2019, the second
tariff cut will take place and
on the January 1, 2020, the third.
It is opportune for the first and
second tariff cuts to occur so
THE fast approach of the New
Year is a time to consider business
goals for 2019 and any
changes to improve efficiency
and the bottom line.
Super administration can cost
a business time and money and
can feel like a minefield, with
government making changes to
obligations and employees often
opting for different super providers.
Tasplan offers a range of free
services to employers to help
make managing super easier with
a team of Employer Relationship
Managers to support HR and
payroll teams.
Employer Relationship Managers
use business intelligence
data to produce reports for employers,
giving them a snapshot
of their current employees who
have accounts with Tasplan and
providing information on how
employees interact with their super.
With this information to hand,
Employer Relationship Managers
are then able to customise
closely together.
The TPP reduces customs tariffs
on a multitude of goods but
also covers trade in services, investment
and the environment.
While Australia already has a
free trade agreement with seven
of the participating countries,
this FTA will bring increased access
for Australian exporters to
Canada and Mexico, improved
access to the Japanese agriculture
market, and improved access
to Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam.
For goods to take advantage
of the TPP they must satisfy the
Rules of Origin. Under the TPP
an exporter will need to provide
services to suit an employee’s
lifestyle at every life stage.
Having access to Employer
Relationship Managers gives
peace of mind in terms of meeting
super obligations while ensuring
employees get the most
out of their super.
Employee Relationship Managers
can also assist with everything
from default investments
and insurance, to income protection,
salary sacrifice and after-tax
contributions.
Tasplan offers a range of investment
options to mix and
match, ensuring staff get plenty
of choice without feeling
swamped.
Tasplan Super members can
also choose Tasplan OnTrack®,
For goods to take advantage
of the TPP they must satisfy
the Rules of Origin.
Super New Year’s resolution
Tasplan offers a range of
free services to employers
to help make managing
super easier
a lifecycle option that changes
with them over their lives.
Tasplan is a multi-industry
fund, which in practical terms
means employers from any industry
can sign up, with 16,000
organisations around the country
already trusting Tasplan to take
care of their employees’ super.
Employer Relationship Managers
can also explain Tasplan’s
clearing house system – a free
administrative tool designed to
streamline super payments.
The clearing house meets all
the requirements of employer
super obligations and picks up
errors before payments are processed,
taking the time and stress
out of super administration.
Just one payment is made
a Certificate of Origin but unlike
other FTAs, there is no set template.
There are however nine mandatory
requirements and the absence
of any one of the nine requirements
renders preferential
treatment under the TPP obsolete
so extreme caution must be
taken should an exporter elect
to design their own form rather
than using the normal Certificate
of Australian Origin template.
The TPP does not require direct
shipment but where shipment
is not direct and is through
a country that is not a signatory
to the TPP, the goods must remain
under Customs control in
order to receive the benefits under
the FTA.
The new FTA is exciting for
Australian exporters and the
full outcomes and background
documents can be accessed on
the DFAT website at https://
dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/
not-yet-in-force/tpp-11/outcomes-documents/Pages/outcomes-documents.aspx
For international trade and
investment assistance
contact TCCI TradeStart
Adviser, Sally Chandler, at
sally.chandler@tcci.com.au
or phone 1300 559 122.
for all employees, regardless of
which super fund they belong to,
making it easier to track and report
payments and saving time.
Tasplan was recently recognised
for improving value
for members when awarded the
SuperRatings Rising Star 2018
Award last month which comes
off the back of taking out the
2017 Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction
Award for industry super
funds.
Tasplan Employer Relationship
Managers can discuss super
needs over the phone or by email
or they can arrange a workplace
visit to talk to employees in a
way that’s easy to understand, so
they feel informed and in control
and not overwhelmed.
For more infomation or to
make an appointment or
workplace visit call 1800 005
166 or visit tasplan.com.au/
employers.
® Registered to Tasplan Pty Ltd ABN 13 009
563 062.The trustee of Tasplan Super (ABN
14 602 032 302) is Tasplan Pty Ltd (ABN 13
009 563 062).
www.tcci.com.au
TCCI offers
many options
Abbey
George
Workplace Relations
WITH the invasion by mainland consultation
firms of Tasmania, businesses are asking themselves
“what option is the best for me?”
As always this is a personal decision for each
business but we thought it timely to remind
business about the Tasmanian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and our Workplace
Relations and Workplace Health and Safety
services.
The WR team at TCCI can offer you:
• peace of mind with WR and WHS issues –
if you are in doubt pick up the phone or email;
• regular hot topic information sessions on
WR and WHS around the state, free for members
and a nominal fee for non-members;
• education and training which can be customised
to suit your business and staff;
• assistance and advice on legal compliance
such as the Fair Work Act 2009, Modern
Awards and the like;
• assistance with planning, drafting, negotiating,
lodgement, review and interpretation of
Enterprise Agreements;
• workplace investigations such as disciplinary,
grievances etc;
• advice regarding WHS issues such as policies
and procedures (drafting and implementation),
consultation, identifying hazards and the
like;
• Advice regarding WR issues such as rates
of pay, legislative interpretation, performance
management, policies and procedures (drafting
and implementation) and the like;
• assistance with Fair Work Commission matters
– as an employer organisation we are automatically
granted permission to appear in the
Commission whereas other representatives need
to seek permission (and it may not be granted);
• advice from a qualified lawyer at discounted
membership rates; and
• knowledge that if you need us we are only a
phone call, email or car ride away.
Our level of involvement is completely up to
you and we have a large variety of ways that
you can engage our services:
• we have a number of comprehensive membership
levels that you can choose based on
your business needs. All information can be
found on our website or our membership team;
• retainer arrangement – specifics by negotiation;
and
• our Workplace Assured product – this provides
complete peace of mind with a $0 excess
insurance product and a complimentary TCCI
membership.
There isn’t a lot in relation to WR and WHS
that we can’t assist with so if in doubt ask.
For more information contact the Helpline on
1300 765 123 or the TCCI on 1300 59 122 or
workplacerelations@tcci.com.au
Degree courses offer new way to learn
AT University College,
we pride ourselves on offering
Tasmanians a new
way of learning.
We do this by offering
a range of industry supported
courses that provide
students with the
real-world tools to create
the future they want.
This wouldn’t be possible
without the support
of our local industry.
Our new associate de-
LeeWhiteley
University College
Chief Executive
grees have been developed
with research and
engagement with Tasmanian
industry stakeholders
to ensure our
courses are relevant and
our students graduate
work-ready.
Through this engagement,
we have members
of industry actively involved
in the delivery of
our associate degrees.
This allows our students
to learn directly
from those in industry
who may one day be
their employers.
Our workshops are a
great example of how
industry is supporting
our associate degrees by
providing students with a
real-world understanding
of what it is like to work
in industry.
Earlier this year, our
students studying a unit
in quality management
attended a workshop at
Bell Bay Aluminium.
Students gained a
broad experience of major
industrial manufacturing
and a look at quality
management systems.
This workshop had a
focus on quality and continuous
improvement of
products and processes,
which directly related to
the unit the students were
studying.
As such, this hands-on
learning experience gave
our students the opportunity
to understand how
the discipline knowledge
they were learning could
be applied directly in a
real-world work setting.
These workshops are
also relevant to our students
who are already
working in industry, as it
provides them with practical
and relevant study
experiences outside of
their current organisation.
For more information
about our industry
relevant Associate
Degrees, visit our new
website- www.utas.
edu.au/college or call
1300 363 864.