Staff Reporters

SMALL business operators’ understanding of the GST has improved substantially in the past six months, according to the Small Business Development Commission’s May 2000 Small Business Opinion Survey.

THE Government’s proposed provisions for superannuation funds will undermine the superannuation system, according to the Institute for Chartered Accountants in Australia.

WA is well on the way to becoming a leading exporter in renewable energy technology, according to Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill.

Expectation is running high in the Hardman Resources NL camp on a favourable outcome of the Colombo#1 well currently undergoing gas testing in Italy.

If you doubt that the smell in the air is cash burning, take your nose to New York.

WELL-KNOWN Australian medical supplier Gradipore is poised to enter an international market valued at US$10 billion after developing a platform it believes will revolutionise the industry.

HOLLYWOOD productions are trickling into Perth thanks to local company RookPark Pty Ltd.

FRENCH champagne producer Comte de Lantage will expand its marketing operations throughout Australia following its success in the WA market.

A THINK-tank mentality is a must for e-business solution providers that want to be truly visionary, says Xpedior regional manager (WA) Hamish Jolly.

AUSTRALIA’S unemployment rate should fall to about 6.1 per cent by the last quarter of 2001, according to the latest Western Australian Quarterly Bulletin of Economic Trends, which is published jointly by Curtin University of Technology and the University

RECENTLY, the French Govern-ment, in an attempt to reduce high unemployment, introduced a compulsory thirty-five hour work week.

Aurora Gold Limited has unveiled a strong March quarterly performance on a number of fronts in spite of illegal squatters hampering output on some of its mines in Indonesia.

DOMAIN name owners should be aware their precious asset could be up for grabs if re-registration notifications are ignored.

Henderson-based WaveMaster International launched Australia’s largest exported aluminium monohull ferry to Europe recently, one week ahead of schedule.

INVESTORS should concentrate on making a profit rather than minimising tax, says Newman Partners partner Glenn Trinick.

A DELEGATION of more than twenty WA-based companies led by Attorney General Peter Foss recently attended a major investment and export development conference in the US.

A glimmer of light is emerging at the end of WA’s exploration tunnel, following the first major downturn in more than ten years.

DESPITE fears over the cost of compliance to small operators, the introduction of the GST will have minimal impact on the growth of the franchising industry.

CHANGES to the old tax effective investment prepayment system as a result of Ralph II is the most significant factor affecting the majority of this year’s blue gum projects, says Norgard Clohessy Equity managing director Ken Richards.

ANNOUNCING State Government service fees and charges is usually a relatively simple exercise around Budget time each year.

A significant offshore gas discovery adjacent to the Gorgon field in the Carnarvon Basin of the North West Shelf has boosted WA’s gas inventory considerably.

Life getting too exciting? Then Briefcase recommends www.dullmen.com.

A NEW $4.26 million cattle saleyard, soon opening for business in Mt Barker, has been hailed as a major asset to the cattle industry in the South West of WA.

One of the world’s largest gold producers has gained a significant foothold in the Tanami-Arunta province, near the border between WA and the Northern Territory.

What is it that makes a restaurant popular? Importantly, what is it that makes one man’s cuisine another man’s dyspepsia?

DEMAND for fast food alternatives continues to increase and gourmet pie shops are taking a big slice of the market.

WHILE attention has been focused on the Northbridge Tunnel’s effect on Northbridge property prices, suburbs into which the Graham Farmer Freeway spills are also benefiting.

Australians in their 30s, 40s and 50s were educated and trained for their workplace responsibilities before the digital era. Millions of us are now coming to grips with the challenges of becoming Internet savvy.

Illegal grabbing of farms and natural resources in Zimbabwe has been emulated in Indonesia where peasants are poaching gold from at least one Australian mining company.

ALMOST $1 million has been provided by the WA Government to support ten training sector and industry projects in WA.

GIVEN the sobering statistics of small business failure in the 1990s, thorough research and planning are critical to the success of franchise operations, says Entrepreneur Business Centre owner Greg Hart.

PLANS for a $35 million redevelopment above the Graham Farmer Freeway tunnel in Northbridge have been released.