- The Federation of Small Businesses welcomes the announcement that Wales will return to Alert Level 0
- Wales’ largest business representative body calls for Welsh Government to articulate recovery plan
Responding to the announcement by Welsh Government, FSB Wales Policy Chair Ben Francis said:
“We very much welcome the announcement that Wales is able to return to Alert Level 0.
The reduction in the self-isolation period announced earlier this week and the go-ahead for indoor hospitality to re-open without restrictions today will be welcomed by businesses across Wales, who have faced a particularly traumatic festive season.
However, we remain deeply concerned that the sacrifices made throughout this period are set to have a lasting impact on small businesses.
We urgently need Welsh Government to begin to articulate Wales’ approach to economic recovery in the coming months and give Welsh businesses the best support available to get back on their feet and grow again.
We would also welcome the start of a conversation about what long-term resilience might look like and how future outbreaks of Covid might be combatted through outlining measures which minimise impact on smaller businesses. Hospitality businesses in particular will be concerned that they will bear the brunt of restrictions in the event of a future Covid crisis. It is imperative therefore that future government measures are informed by clear economic impact data.
It is only with full transparency and a broad template approach to any future restrictions and recovery that businesses in Wales will be able to once again operate with confidence and inspire success.
Welsh Government’s focus needs to be ensuring that businesses weather the next few months, given the challenges that lay ahead in the form of a fraught supply chain and rising costs of living and operating.
Businesses in Wales wish to see the UK and Welsh Governments working together in order to tackle rising costs for businesses. To this end, we call on the UK Government to scrap the planned National Insurance hike and Welsh Government to extend the 100% business rates holiday beyond April.
Businesses within the hospitality sector have been asked to sacrifice much to help combat the Omicron variant. It’s important that Welsh Government recognises that now by ensuring it does all it can to help business get back on their feet and embed resilience.”
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