Infrastructure, employment, taxes and the state's credit rating are just some of the issues the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA is urging the Barnett government to tackle in its annual pre-budget submission released today.
CCIWA chief executive James Pearson said the 2010 budget was an opportunity for the government to put in place building blocks for the state's future.
"As the State emerges from the global economic downturn and returns to strong growth, it is critical that the Government put in place a range of strategies to help business and the local economy," he said.
"We need to keep the State's finances strong.
"We need better infrastructure to encourage new investment, and make our communities better places to live and work.
"We need a human capital strategy, so that local employers can attract and retain the hundreds of thousands of extra workers they will need.
"We need to lower taxes and remove red tape, to make it easier to do business.
"We need a strategic plan for the State, to bring it all together.
CCIWA also called on the government to provide payroll tax relief to small to medium sized enterprises and to carefully manage the state's finances, with the budget already under pressure and likely to deteriorate further.
"Steps are also needed to protect the State's triple A credit rating. This will be difficult to achieve without making the public sector more efficient, including through structural reform," Mr Pearson said.
"CCI urges the government to act, quickly, on the findings of the recently released Economic Audit Report. It provides a blueprint for reform."
The lobby group also developed a list of the infrastructure priorities for the state including the upgrade of roads in and around Perth airport, expand the state's port facilities, improving power and water services and social projects such as the Northbridge Link and the new multi-purpose outdoor sports stadium.
