In a preliminary response to the First Minister’s new Programme
for Government, David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail
Consortium, said:
“There is much in the First Minister’s programme for government
that the retail industry can get behind and support, including
the commitments on net zero and energy and the freezing of train
fares which should support shopper footfall into city centres.
“Whilst there was little by way of immediate relief for the costs
crunch facing firms, it is nonetheless heartening that Ministers
are committed to working with business to review the swathe of
devolved regulatory interventions being implemented or considered
at the present time. The economic landscape has shifted markedly
and culling or pausing many of these regulatory burdens and
easing the cumulative impact would give retailers breathing space
as they strive to keep down prices for consumers. What’s needed
is early certainty on the outcome of this regulatory review as
well as on those costs determined by Ministers, such as next
April’s business rate.”
On the proposed Budget Bill Mr Lonsdale added:
“The business rate remains onerous and has escalated to a 23-year
high. In addition to a freeze in the business rate the Budget
Bill should include a timetabled route map towards lowering the
rate permanently, to a more financially sustainable level for
firms, and speed up the commitment to restore the level playing
field with England on the higher property business rate.”
ENDS
Note: Last week SRC published its Scottish Budget recommendations
paper: https://brc.org.uk/media/680499/src-scotish-budget-report-2022_final.pdf
