Limerick Chamber has called on the new Limerick Authority manager Conn Murray to deliver a reduction in commercial rates for 2013 in addition to providing a ring fenced fund to promote and market the city-region to enhance the business environment.
Speaking on the need for savings for their members, Maria Kelly, Limerick Chamber CEO, said:
“The Chamber always pursues policies focused on improving competitiveness and containing costs for our members. Rates are the third highest cost to businesses and our new Limerick Authority must do everything it can to support enterprise and job retention and creation.
The Chamber was the only business organisation in the region to strongly support the unification of Limerick City and County Councils. We did so because of the long-term coordination and savings it could deliver for the city-region. Yet despite the Brosnan report being adopted in 2010, three years on we are still to see any significant change in commercial rates for city businesses. The differential between County and City is almost 25%; Minister Hogan’s recent paper ‘Putting People First’ suggests that this gap will be fully re-balanced by 2015. To realistically achieve this it must be introduced on a phased basis.
We are calling on Conn Murray and his team to deliver targeted rates reductions for city businesses in 2013. While we accept that mergers incur costs, we fear that if a significant reduction is not delivered in 2013 the rates base will be further eroded into 2014 and beyond.
In conjunction with the sizeable reduction in rates we are also calling on the new manager to introduce a ring-fenced fund. This money must be used – in addition to councils current spend in the area – to deliver a focused promotional, marketing, events and festivals campaign for the city. The urgent need for this cannot be underestimated, with the reorganisation of Shannon Development a huge void exists and as a city-region we are in fear of greater decline. The fund must also be used to deliver a suite of targeted incentives and initiatives to drive business growth within the city’s core: to promote Limerick both nationally and internationally as a competitive attractive business location.
We are aware that this is a big ask from the new manager, however, we supported the unification because of the savings it could achieve for our members. If the government is serious about the delivery of a new model of local government then it must support Limerick in achieving a level playing field for business operating throughout the city and its environs. The first step to achieve this is a reduction in commercial rates in 2013 for city businesses, as well as the introduction of a ring-fenced fund to promote and market Limerick, both as a great place to visit and a great place to do business” concluded Ms Kelly.
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For more information contact Edwina Gore, Limerick Chamber
Email: egore@limerickchamber.ie or phone: 061-217607
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