The Australian Industry Group said it had been urging the federal government for months to introduce RAT as an alternative to the PCR test to allow businesses to continue trading without the need for lengthy delays in the testing process.
On Monday (January 3) Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government would not be making RATs available for free saying the government has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Australians through the pandemic, but it was now time to wind that back.
However, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese backed calls from pharmacists for tests to be exempted from the goods and services tax, and said tests should be free for those who cannot afford them.
Chemist Warehouse chief Mario Tascone urged the government to remove the 10 per cent GST on the rapid tests, similar to how women’s sanitary products no longer attract the impost.
Mr Albanese said tests should also be available for free for those who cannot pay for one.
“No one should be excluded from getting a rapid antigen test because of their income,” Mr Albanese told the ABC.
“At the very least, people who cannot afford one should be able to get one and should be given one.”
Although subsidised RATs would be welcome, AI Group chief executive Innes Willox said businesses were more concerned about the lack of supply of the tests in regard to continued trading.
“Now that the switch has been made the main issue currently seems to be with supply rather than price,” he said.
“This is likely to be temporary. In part this is because many Australian manufacturers have been tasked to provide supplies to international markets. Supply will ramp up in coming weeks which should alleviate the pressure, along with expected financial supports for pensioners and other low income groups.”
Alexi Boyd, CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia said businesses had been calling for the roll-out of RATs since October last year.
“We could see that it was successful in other countries. You can more easily plan for one staff member who may have a positive test rather than a whole workforce,” she said.
“Worker shortages are the most crucial issue at the moment, and this is being made by the lack of RAT supplies for the community. Small to medium businesses do not have the depth of staff to have that freeflow of workers into a business if one of them tests positive.
“We are calling on the government for a fair distribution of RATs – fair and equitable – to rural and remote regions as well, and to different communities that may not be able to afford them. We need to get workers back into small business.”
Ms Boyd said despite some rumours another lockdown could be called, business organisations had been assured that it was not “part of the plan moving forward”.
“But we have also been going through this for the past 18 months,” she said.
“As the virus evolves, the Government response has to evolve. Small business has been incredibly adaptable to these changes. But the information about any changes needs to be given quickly and make sense to small business.
“At the moment they are just hearing another press release but what they need is to know what it means for their small business.”
