01 February 2011
For the first time ever a new coalition of eight of Northern Ireland's leading business organisations have jointly produced a manifesto ahead of the Assembly Elections and the new Programme for Government.
Business Coalition Launches Plan For 94,000 Jobs By 2020
For the first time ever a new coalition of eight of Northern Irelands leading business organisations have jointly produced a manifesto ahead of the Assembly Elections and the new Programme for Government.
The Jobs Plan is a joint document of the CBI, NI Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Directors, Centre for Competitiveness, Momentum, Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association, Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association and the Construction Employers Federation.
The Jobs Plan was launched today at the Pump House at the NI Science Park to an invited audience of leading members of the business community, MLAs, Ministers and young entrepreneurs.
The top actions in the Jobs Plan include:
• Decisive political leadership to create stability and confidence.
• Create a more competitive tax base to help support an ambitious export-led economic recovery, while reducing barriers to growth and job creation.
• Deliver a sustained investment strategy through the increased use of alternative sources of finance.
• Ensure skills provision is re-aligned to meets the future needs of the economy.
• Reform and re-engineer how public services are delivered to enhance productivity and outcomes.
The Eight Business Groups said:
“The Jobs Plan is the first ever joint policy document by eight of Northern Ireland’s leading business organisations, allowing the business community to speak with one voice on the big economic challenges we all face. Together we represent every sector of our economy, covering small and large businesses in every part of Northern Ireland”
“It sets out an economic framework and includes a comprehensive agenda for real change in the local economy, one in which the private sector will again take the lead in providing jobs and investment. We believe the right policy framework and investment could lead to the creation of 94,000 jobs by 2020”
Terence Brannigan Chairman CBI Northern Ireland said:
‘Northern Ireland faces stark challenges and choices. The decade of strong domestic demand fuelled by cheap credit and growing public expenditure is over and we need to recast our goals and policies. Faced with this scenario we must now focus our attention on building confidence to encourage investment and trade’
Francis Martin, President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce said:
“With domestic demand constrained most growth in the economy will come from increasing our market share in external markets – which will in turn stimulate local demand. This will require an export-led growth strategy – harnessing the ambitions of local companies to increase exports to over £8.2bn by 2020 (currently £5.6bn) and doubling our tourism revenues to £1bn by 2020.”
Joanne Stuart IoD Chairman said:
“While stimulating growth in indigenous companies is important, attracting high value Foreign Direct Investment will help us achieve key objectives such as building scale, improving our exporting capacity, exploiting the research capabilities of our universities and improving our competitiveness. Foreign investment must be a key economic priority for the Executive. Our efforts must be sufficiently resourced and supported with a mix of financial and other incentives.”
Glyn Roberts, NIIRTA Chief Executive said:
“Radically better performance within the planning system to improve certainty and speed up decision making is needed. This should include publication of Planning Policy Statement 5 to support town centres and a new PPS 24 to give greater emphasis to economic considerations in planning determinations, combined with the development of ‘planning zones’.
John Armstrong, Managing Director of the Construction Employers Federation said:
“Maximising investment in infrastructure is essential to providing an attractive environment both for our people to live and work in and for those who wish to invest in Northern Ireland. Capital investment is therefore of fundamental importance in stimulating and supporting economic development, in improving the competitiveness of the business environment and reducing regional imbalances”
Ian Graham, Chief Executive of Momentum said:
“We must ensure that education/training provision is aligned with the needs of an export-led, technology-driven economy. This will require focused investment in leadership and management skills, marketing and sales skills, and in vocational/technical and innovation skills”
Bob Barbour, Chief Executive of the Centre for Competitiveness said:
“In the longer term a lower and competitive rate of corporation tax for business will help rebalance the N.I. economy. Howeverconsideration of other fiscal incentives in the short term is necessary to accelerate Northern Ireland’s ability to secure investment, and create a more entrepreneurial driven business environment. This will enable an inward investment strategy focused on ‘profit centres’ rather than cost centres.”
Michael Bell Executive Director of Northern Ireland Food & Drink Association said:
“The economy is the No 1 priority – without such a commitment, addressing disadvantage and improving our environment will not be achieved. The Agri-food sector alone could deliver a 40% growth in the food and drinks industry to £4.5bn could generate up to 7,500 direct jobs and another £600m of new external sales a year (with another 7,500 jobs within the overall supply chain.”
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