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
Former Federal Finance Minister and Senate Leader, The Hon. Simon Birmingham, will join the Australian Banking Association as Chief Executive Officer. ABA Chair and National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Irvine today announced Mr Birmingham’s appointment, replacing retiring CEO, The Hon. Anna Bligh AC. “We are delighted to have Simon lead our industry and help ensure… Read more »
Rick Hind: Anna Bligh is the CEO of the Australian Banking Association. Welcome back to 105.7 ABC Radio Darwin. Anna Bligh: Good morning, great to be with you. Rick Hind: Is it getting easier to scam people out of money from their bank accounts? Given how good technology is, the scammers seem to have as… Read more »
With end of financial year nearly here, the ABA is reminding customers to be on high alert for scammers looking to steal your hard-earned money. Common EOFY scams to be on the lookout for: ABA CEO Anna Bligh said with the end of financial year approaching, scammers are lining up and looking to cash in…. Read more »