Victoria is being urged to protect the future of small businesses who were hit particularly hard during the pandemic.

Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data revealed that Victoria was the only state in the country which saw a net reduction of small businesses in 2023.

Council of Small Business Organisations CEO Luke Achterstraat said the state’s taxes and levies needed to be looked at.

Click PLAY to hear why Victoria is lagging behind other states on protecting small business 

“Throughout COVID a lot of small businesses in Victoria were hit the hardest,” he told Shane McInnes on 3AW Drive.

“Data in 2023 unfortunately indicated that there was only one state in Victoria that there was a reduction in small businesses and that was in Victoria. You can really look to that…we need to have a really close look at the taxes and levies.”