Businesses Should Not Be Target of Executive Revenue Raising

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said:

“It is an absolutely disgrace that Mid and East Antrim Council voted through a massive rate increase of nearly 12%. Why should our members and other small businesses in Mid and East Antrim have to bail out an inept council for its inability to balance its own budget?”

“Independent retailers and small businesses are already paying the highest business rates in the UK and this Council has made an already bad situation worse by this shameful decision”.

“Mid and East Antrim’s senior leadership team and the Councillors who voted for this increase have serious questions to answer”

“In England small businesses are getting a 75% reduction in their rates to assist with the Cost of Doing Business Crisis. Despite the UK Government giving Northern Ireland this funding as part of the Barnett Consequential, our local small businesses are unlikely to see a single penny of reduction in their rates bills with the money going instead of the Stormont black hole"

“Why should independent retailers and small businesses in Northern Ireland be so unfairly treated in comparison to their English counterparts? Our local business sector shouldn’t be targets for additional revenue raising at the Council or Executive level”.

“At the very least the Finance Minister should freeze the non-domestic Regional Business Rate and begin a fundamental review of our broken and antiquated rating system”