GENERAL MERCHANDISE NEWS
BRC urges NI assembly members to help retailers to create jobs
12 May, 2011 | by Retail Bulletin
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has urged members of the new Northern Ireland assembly to co-operate with retailers to create jobs, rather than pursue the idea of a levy on large retailers.
BRC director general, Stephen Robertson, said: “We look forward to meeting members of the new Northern Ireland Assembly to explain the part retail can play in the future economic success of Northern Ireland, given the right conditions. Retail is one sector which has managed to keep growing during the downturn, and keep on creating jobs.”
The consortium said that from 2008 to 2009, the number of stores in Northern Ireland increased by 2%, compared with a fall in the other UK nations. It highlighted the fact that as the largest private sector employer, retail held the key to getting people into work.
Robertson added: “Job creation, investment and thriving town centres are common goals that retailers and members of the Executive all share. These are aims which are threatened by the contradictory proposal to impose an extra tax on large retail premises. Successful retailers, creating thousands of jobs and anchoring healthy high streets, deserve to be valued rather than penalised in this way.”
