FSB NI Head of External Affairs, Roger Pollen has reacted to the Budget brought forward by the Finance Minister, Conor Murphy, calling for more drastic action to support businesses through the Covid-19 emergency.
Commenting, Roger Pollen, said:
“The Budget statement contains some welcome measures, including extending the Small Business Rate Relief scheme and re-instating the rural ATM relief; two key priorities for FSB.
“While the decrease in the regional rate for businesses is welcome, and should be the direction of travel in years to come, much more drastic action is needed to help businesses survive the Covid-19 emergency.
“The Minister has already announced a three month rates holiday for all businesses, which is a welcome step; however, there is a pressing need for a 100% relief for the whole year for many businesses and we need clarity on this sooner rather than later to help relieve unnecessary pressure for business owners.”