The black economy refers to people who operate entirely outside the tax system or who are known but do not declare an income source. The Black Economy Taskforce was established to develop a policy response to combat the black economy in Australia, recognising that these issues cannot be tackled by traditional tax enforcement measures alone.
Anti-Slavery Australia submits that human trafficking and slavery are inextricably linked to the black economy. Anti-Slavery Australia makes the following recommendations on combatting slavery and labour exploitation in the black economy:
- Improving monitoring of working visa holders and sponsors
- Removing the conditions from working visas which exacerbate vulnerability to exploitation
- Sector specific licensing for the labour hire sector; and
- Amending the Commonwealth procurement rules to require due diligence from suppliers regarding modern slavery in supply chains
Anti-Slavery Australia Submission to the Black Economy Taskforce Interim Report Consultation (2017)