Reacting to the announcement today (January 29) of business rates assistance for companies affected by lockdowns and the pandemic, the Shadow Minister for Finance â Mark Isherwood MS â has said that the help “…doesn’t go far enough”.
Mr Isherwood said that the health emergency produced by the Covid pandemic seems to have a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, the economic emergency Wales is going through is still bringing about a different, but equally devastating effect, adding:
“Welsh Conservatives pledged to create ‘Business Rate-Free Zones’, where all businesses would be free from paying business rats for up to three years, and to scrap them for all businesses with a rateable value of under ÂŁ15,000 outside of these zones. Because there is no cut off, our package is more generous and more helpful.
“This has been a difficult period for our country, but as the vaccination rollout picks up pace and the finish line is in sight, it is for ministers in the coming weeks to lay out a roadmap to economic recovery in Wales.
“While a step in the right direction, the assistance outlined for businesses in the package doesn’t go far enough nor does it go for long enough, nor does it help all businesses. The businesspeople who contact me and my Welsh Conservative colleagues want solutions and real-world help, not the sticking plasters offered by Labour.”
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