PC Price Hack Will Eclipse Electrical Goods Drop

PC Price Hack Will Eclipse This Week's Electrical Goods Drop

This week's electrical goods price bonanza will be surpassed in just eleven months time with axing of the 22 per cent sales tax on computers, Senator Ian Campbell, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, told a business form in Perth today.

'The implementation of A New Tax System on July 1, 2000 will see computer prices fall by up to twice the amount hacked from the price tags of electrical goods earlier this week,' said Senator Campbell.

'A New Tax System will see the price of PCs fall between 8 and 12 per cent from July 1 next year,' he said, adding that some retailers are expecting computers to shed up to 14 per cent of the June 30, 2000 price.

'This price drop is not only good for decreasing the cost barrier to PC ownership and participating in the information economy-it could have a tsunami-like effect on the development of Australia's digital economy.

'The economy will burgeon as the number of Australians participating in the digital economy reaches critical mass more quickly.

'More Australians will be able to take advantage of the enormous opportunities available online through electronic transactions and accessing information and services in a top-tier digital economy.'

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and indicative example of expected price reductions of a high-end colour TV is a reduction in price from $1399 on July 28 to between $1301 and $1329 on July 29. A saving of between $98 and $70, depending on what proportion the wholesale price is of the retail price.

In comparison, a computer priced at $1399 on June 30, 2000 will fall to $1287, $1231 and $1203 with price reductions of 8, 12 and 14 per cent respectively-saving the consumer $112, $168 and $196 respectively.

'The implementation of A New Tax System in eleven months time, and the resultant computer price savings, will give Australia a solid foothold on the burgeoning digital economy,' said Senator Campbell.

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