CEO Welcome

Welcome to the beginning of Spring 2021 when the weather turns for the better, and the general population readies itself for sporting finals, spring racing carnivals and many other community events across the country that bring people together.

As many people have said, we now enter the new normal. The new normal includes living with the COVID-19 disease, in all its forms, and being vaccinated to qualify to enter these very same events that we all cherish and look forward to.

MGA TMA has advocated for our members and their staff at the state and federal level as essential industry sectors remaining open during COVID lockdowns to be regarded as frontline workers.

Frontline community grocers and supermarket workers are exposed every day to the general public providing food and groceries and a place customers can rely upon to satisfy their “stay at home” needs.

To help Members avert the everincreasing risk of more and more restrictions being imposed on their businesses by state and federal governments, MGA TMA has requested members encourage and work with staff and team members to become vaccinated as soon as they can. This will be our only ticket to freedom and living in the new normal world, post-COVID.

Much discussion has taken place in the media, mainly about employers’ vulnerability to employees contracting the virus in workplaces if vaccinations are not mandated. MGA TMA has been assured in forums with Attorney General Michaelia Cash, Safe Work Australia and the Fair Work Ombudsman that providing business workplaces have followed all the COVID work safe and COVID IR guidelines, and have acted in a reasonable manner in collaboration with team members, then there should be no concerns for employers. Attorney General Michaelia Cash has said there is no need to mandate the vaccines for your workplace – simply encourage, promote and collaborate with team members toward creating a safe workplace, safe shopping space and safe community.

Since the last edition of the Independent Retailer magazine, MGA has been heavily engaged in addressing the very serious Illicit Tobacco trade in Australia, costing members in the vicinity of $300m in legitimate tobacco sales per annum. There is still much work to be done as we try to understand who is responsible for this crime at a state or federal level?

Least Cost Routing (LCR) is an initiative that will allow our members to choose how a customer debit card transaction is processed at their POS terminal. LCR will allow eftpos to be included in the mix and can help members save more than 40% in debit card payment fees. MGA has met with the RBA, the ACCC, various Ministers and MP’s about this matter which the four major banks are reluctant to make available in a default setting to family and private businesses. MGA’s members conduct almost 600m transactions per annum and pay $88m in card payment fees. At 16 cents per transaction, this is a high cost for our members to bear as they cannot pass this onto consumers.

Members and their staff around Australia have continued to work extremely hard during these very difficult and challenging COVID times. We congratulate our members and staff for your resilience and the enormous part you play within your communities. MGA congratulates you for providing a central hub for your communities and making available vital food and groceries in a safe environment with trusted and reliable service.

Until next edition – stay safe and take care.

Jos de Bruin CEO MGA TMA Independent Retailers