Budget Matters 2013
The Chamber continues to highlight the recommendations made in its Pre-Budget Submission (PBS) 2013. The submission, sent to Ministers, Secretary Generals and TD’s in early October, sets out proposals to ensure that Budget 2013 will not increase the cost of doing business in Ireland, but will instead stimulate the domestic economy and support government’s ambition of generating employment and investment. In recent weeks, the Chamber has been involved in a number of high level meetings with Secretaries General across various governmental departments. These meetings allowed the Chamber to discuss its pre-budget recommendations and urged government departments to resist any further cost increases for businesses in 2013. Overall, the meetings have proved to be an excellent way to highlight the region’s challenges and the departments have agreed to review the recommendations and to maintain contact with the Chamber on their progression. Further details of the Chamber’s Pre-Budget Submission 2013 can be found here.
As Cork City and County Councils prepare upcoming budgets, the Chamber has communicated with all councillors highlighting the significant burden that the current rates system and other local authority charges place on businesses in the region. The Chamber has urged councillors to advocate for improved transparency in the expenditure of rates and local authority charges. The Chamber also welcomed the Council’s ring-fencing of 1% of rates income for economic development in the region but called on the Council to protect the current fund and ideally increase the rate percentage allocation to 2% to enable expansion and maximise the impact of the fund.
Your Views, Your Voice – Reform of National Micro & Small Business Support Infrastructure
The Government has announced the drafting of primary legislation to dissolve existing County and City Enterprise Boards and create an enhanced national micro enterprise support model, delivered through Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in each local authority office. Views are now sought from all stakeholders’ in particular small businesses and business representative groups as part of a four week public consultation on the Government’s reforms of supports for micro-enterprise and small business.
Further information in relation to the consultation on the Reform of National Micro and Small Business Support Infrastructure can be found here or copy and paste the link into your browser http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/consultation_reform_businesssupport.pdf
Cork Chamber is currently putting together a submission, if you have any suggested inputs please contact, Siobhan Bradley, Policy & Research Manager by 4pm Monday 3rd December 2012.
Cork County Alerts
Cork County Council has launched a new initiative which will issue severe weather alerts (as issued by Met Éireann) for the entire county and flood alerts for Clonakilty town area. This free text message, social media and email alert system shall also issue information for,
- Road closure and scheduled road works
- Road gritting and salting updates
- Road incidents and accidents
- Water service disruptions and boil water notices
- Community and miscellaneous events
- Major emergencies
Those interested in receiving the alerts can provide a mobile number and email address or also have the option of adding a landline number which will receive a recorded message.
To register for the alerts click here or copy and paste the following into your browser http://www.mapalerts.corkcoco.ie/register.
