Enterprises Call For Burden Reduction

Despite a reduction in the inflation figures on Thursday, Irelands enterprises have called for the Government to get "stuck into" addressing the increasing cost burden on business, particularly those that are State imposed.

The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) said Government policy was leading to job losses instead of the stated aim of increasing employment.

ISME Chief Executive, Mark Fielding said: “It seems that the Government has a death wish for Irish businesses. At a time when businesses are attempting to reduce their costs as much as possible just to survive, the Government increase costs through, rises in carbon taxes, reduced redundancy payments, not forgetting the threat to introduce a mandatory sick pay scheme.

"It is incredible that while the Government is going to announce a ‘Jobs Initiative’ at the end of this month and expect those enterprises which they continuously hit with additional costs, to magically start creating employment. It is about time that they got their priorities right and started to support enterprise instead of constantly attempting to strangle it."

Mr Fielding added that exit from the recession would be based on a lower cost competitive business environment that can compete internationally.

This will require a root and branch review of all costs foisted on business, with an immediate change of policy to ensure that these costs are brought into line with our competitors”, concluded Fielding.

(DW/GK)