Government policies must focus on supporting businesses if they are serious about creating jobs

Limerick Chamber has today (23/09) said that Action Plan for Jobs 2014 (APJ) must focus on ensuring the viability of firms and providing the necessary framework and environment to promote and support business growth and expansion.

 

Speaking about their submission on the APJ to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Limerick Chamber Economist, Dr. Órlaith Borthwick, said “If employers are not central to public policy then we are merely paying lip service to job creation. Our members, from SMEs to the larger multinational corporations across the Mid-West, need to be provided with a policy framework that ensures and drives competitiveness. The current levels of uncertainty and lack of confidence are doing little to encourage businesses to expand or create employment”.

 

The Limerick Chamber submission to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation on the APJ focuses on themes key to their members:

  • Access to Finance for SMEs;
  • Assisting Indigenous Businesses to Grow;
  • Driving Entrepreneurship and Start-up Companies;
  • Sectoral Opportunities.

In their submission the Chamber proposes:

  • Increase in the threshold for cash accounting to €2.5million;
  • Enabling start-ups to off-set corporation tax against other taxes due over a five year period;
  • Halving Capital Gains Tax for Entrepreneurs to 16.5%;
  • Improved Equality in the tax treatment of the self-employed;
  • Incentives for increases in net head count;
  • Targeted Demand-Led up-Skilling and reformation of the National Training Fund to be delivered via an adequately resourced Skillnet Programme.

“Limerick Chamber calls on government to cement the central role businesses play within the economy by ensuring that Action Plan for Jobs 2014 focuses on creating the necessary environment and confidence to support business expansion, ultimately equating to employment generation. The adoption of such a policy perspective will result in long term viable and sustainable job growth.” concluded Dr. Borthwick.

 

Click here to view a copy of the Limerick Chamber submission on Action Plan for Jobs 2014

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