Friday 2 July 2010

Australia agrees deal to reduce new mining tax

The Australian government has reached a deal with mining companies over controversial tax plans.
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had announced plans for a 40% tax on miners' profits.
But a compromise agreement negotiated by his successor, Julia Gillard, has now reduced the rate to 30% for coal and iron ore miners.
But petroleum and gas operations will still pay a pre-existing 40% tax rate, the government said.
But that will now cover onshore oil and gas projects as well as the offshore operations previously subject to it.
Smaller iron ore and coal companies, with annual profits below A$50m (£28m; $42m), will not be required to pay the new tax.
The plans are still expected to raise billions of dollars for the government, however.
When Mr Rudd announced the tax plans earlier this year, he said he expected to raise A$9bn a year.
The revised plan would raise A$1.5bn less, the government said, but cuts to company tax rates that were to be paid for by the mining tax will still go ahead.
Mining executives welcomed the deal, calling it "a positive outcome".
Mining giants including BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto had initially launched an aggressive lobbying campaign against Mr Rudd's tax plan, warning that it could harm economic growth. 

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