14 February 2020
Help on offer for small businesses financially affected by coronavirus
Australian small businesses financially impacted by the spread of the coronavirus are being urged to contact their bank to access assistance on offer which can include deferred loan payments, waiving fees and restructuring loans.
Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh said any small business should not tough it out on their own if they are financially impacted by the effects of the coronavirus.
Anna Bligh, ABA CEO
“Any business financially impacted by the effects of the coronavirus, such as tourism operators, growers and exporters of fresh produce and those reliant on international education should contact their bank to access the assistance on offer.”
“Thousands of businesses have had a horror start to the year with drought, bushfires and floods. Now the coronavirus having a severe impact on both their ability to create products and also export them to markets overseas,” Ms Bligh said.
“Banks have hardship teams in place to walk businesses through the assistance on offer if they have been impacted by events outside of their control.
“Any business financially impacted by the effects of the coronavirus, such as tourism operators, growers and exporters of fresh produce and those reliant on international education should contact their bank to access the assistance on offer,” she said.
The type of assistance offered will depend on individual circumstances, but can include:
- A deferral of scheduled loan repayments
- Waiving fees and charges
- Interest free periods or no interest rate increases
- Debt consolidation to help make repayments more manageable.
Get details of your bank’s hardship team.
ENDS
Contact: Rory Grant 0475 741 007
Latest news
The ABA welcomes today’s release of draft industry designations and framework for scams code obligations for banks, telecommunication companies and digital platforms – reinforcing the importance of an ecosystem approach in the fight against scammers. ABA CEO Simon Birmingham said the draft materials were the next piece of the puzzle in ongoing efforts to drive… Read more »
E&OE Radio Interview ABC Pacific Beat 28 November 2025 Topics: Loan scams impact seasonal workers; Scam protection tips Host: Welcome back to Pacific Beat. Seasonal and PALM scheme workers in Australia are being advised to stay vigilant and not share their personal details with anyone. It follows an alert issued by Commonwealth Bank warning about scams targeting seasonal workers…. Read more »
E&OE Radio Interview ABC Radio National Breakfast28 November 2025 Topics: APRA’s debt-to-income ratio caps change; Lending practices; Refunds on low fee accounts Sally Sara (Host): Sally Sara with you for breakfast. The banking regulator APRA has fired warning shots at major lenders this week, following an uptick in riskier forms of lending as interest rates have fallen. From February… Read more »