Jobs to go and businesses close if Finance Dept plans get go ahead

A '˜perfect storm' of rates rises, hikes in car parking charges and plans to axe the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme will cause job losses and lead to business closures, government officials have been warned.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Jan 2018, 19:09 BST
Updated 17th Jan 2018, 19:12 BST
Hospitality has a vital role in tourism while town centre trade also supports communities and sustains jobsHospitality has a vital role in tourism while town centre trade also supports communities and sustains jobs
Hospitality has a vital role in tourism while town centre trade also supports communities and sustains jobs

Speaking after a meeting with senior figures from the Department of Finance, the heads of two industry bodies, Retail NI and Hospitality Ulster, said plans flew in the face of previous thinking on encouraging growth in both sectors.

The CEOs, Glyn Roberts of Retail NI and Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster, met the officials to discuss the Northern Ireland Budgetary Outlook 2018-2020 briefing paper, which was launched before Christmas.

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In a joint statement later they said they were “absolutely opposed to the proposals to increase business rates, car parking charges and to axe the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme”.

Against a central focus in the Programme for Government on economic growth, they said the proposals would “disproportionally impact on both the hospitality and retail sectors and our town and city centres”.

“Make no mistake, if these proposals are to be accepted by Ministers, we will see a significant amount of our members closing and the unemployment figures increasing.”

They said they were surprised that officials have proposed something so apparently out of line with policy priorities of the previous Executive.

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“Civil Servants are in a difficult position with no Executive in place, but they should not be putting options on the table which will result in job losses and businesses closing.

“To even suggest as an option to substantially increase business rates is a non-starter. Far from increasing business rates, we need to see them decreased.

“What makes this proposal even more unacceptable, is that the Department of Finance also suggests not replacing the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme which would be a double whammy for our members and the wider small business sector.

“Retail NI and Hospitality Ulster have tabled proposals to improve the existing Small Business Rate Relief Scheme which we would urge any incoming Finance Minister to urgently consider.

“We need to see locally accountable Executive Ministers deciding our Budget and it is disgrace that we have had no Government in place for a year”

Related topics:JobsBudgetHospitalityGovernment