Business set-up, transfer and closure

The draft report is available but no longer open for comment. Written submissions were due 3 July 2015. Please note: The draft report is for research purposes only. For final outcomes of this inquiry refer to the inquiry report. 

The draft report was released on 21 May 2015.

View the draft report

The issues paper was intended to assist you in preparing a submission. It covered a range of issues on which the Commission sought information and feedback. Initial submissions were due 20 February 2015. 

The issues paper was released on 19 December 2014.

Read the issues paper

The Australian Government asked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry into barriers to setting up, transferring and closing a business and identify options for reducing barriers where appropriate.

The Commission conducted a broad ranging investigation to specifically investigate, analyse and propose recommendations on:

• The nature and the scale/extent of barriers to entry and exit that existed for businesses and their impact on economic performance.
• Identify appropriate options for reducing these entry and exit barriers, including but not limited to advice on the potential impacts of:
  • the regulation of product and service markets
  • transfers and subsidies to businesses, including import barriers
  • regulations affecting the ease of starting, operationalising or closing a business
  • time spent on and cost of complying or dealing with government regulation, licensing and bureaucracy
  • the personal/corporate insolvency regimes on business exits.