Rates holiday ‘a boost during difficult times’

Simon Hamilton said: “This is great news for Belfast Chamber members and other businesses across Northern Ireland, many of whom have been forced to closed and cannot trade at all as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Customer facing sectors like retail, hospitality, tourism and leisure have been hit really hard and it appears that they will face serious restrictions on their ability to trade for some time to come.

“Belfast Chamber warmly welcomes the additional month of rate relief for all businesses and the extension of the rates holiday for retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses until the end of the current financial year. Targeted rates relief is something that Belfast Chamber has been calling for and has been pleased to work closely with the Department of Finance on. It is a recognition by the Executive of the pain that so many businesses are experiencing at present and will do for many more months. We have all seen the images of once bustling shopping streets in Belfast city centre now empty streets. With so many of those businesses now not having to pay any rates for the rest of this year it will give them a real boost during what are immensely difficult times.

“What the Executive has done with rates relief for businesses is more generous than what has happened in Great Britain and is a great example of devolution responding to local needs and working to the benefit of many businesses who have been hurt by the impact of the coronavirus on our economy.”

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