Andrew McRae, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Scotland policy chair, said: “Many in business will understand just how tough it will be for our public finance leaders to balance the books. Public bodies and local businesses alike are still reeling from the covid crisis, and now face mounting overheads and other inflationary challenges.
“But government’s decisions can cast a much longer shadow than those of a single small firm. For example, shutting down local public sector buildings might save money on paper, but it risks undermining collective efforts to turn town centres around.
“On the other hand, clever reforms could help both the public purse and local economies. Smarter procurement systems could see more independent businesses winning more work while reducing waste.
“With thousands of Scottish businesses on a tightrope, at every turn Ministers must safeguard schemes which give a direct boost to firms, like their crucial small business rate relief.”
ENDS