Call to Restore, Recover & Reform as Council candidates in Perth and Kinross urged to back local businesses

Vicki Unite, Chief Executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce has written to Perth and Kinross Council candidates ahead of the local government elections taking place on Thursday 5th May, asking them to give their backing to local businesses if elected.

Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is encouraging candidates to ‘Rally for Growth’ by backing a pledge to Restore, Recover and Reform the trading environment for local businesses.

The pledge asks potential Councillors to support local and regional economic growth by committing to pro-business and pro-enterprise policies as well as voicing their opposition to the introduction of any new taxes or levies being placed on local businesses for the duration of the next term.

The Perthshire Chamber Restore, Recover and Reform pledge asks candidates to commit to:

Back local businesses and employees by opposing a Workplace Parking Levy
Protect local businesses and consumers from a low-emission zones Commuter Tax
Rebuild the hard-hit tourism and hospitality sectors by opposing the Tourist Tax
Support the long-overdue reform of business rates
Help to secure additional local and regional business support from Scottish and UK Government

Commenting, Vicki Unite, Chief Executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce said:

“Businesses in Perth and Kinross have had an incredibly tough time over the past two years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and local government has a crucial role to play in not only helping businesses recovery but securing long-term growth in the local area.

“We want candidates to Rally for Growth locally by committing to restore business and consumer confidence to pre-pandemic, help our hardest hit sectors such as tourism and retail fully recover by opposing new business taxes and levies and finally for support to reform Scotland’s long overdue business rates regime.

“With strong economic headwinds forecast, businesses continue to face an increasingly complex set of challenges as they balance growth with inflation hitting a 30-year-high, rising energy prices and falling consumer spending as the cost-of-living crisis begins to take hold.

“In Perth and Kinross there is also a recruitment issue with business having to turn down work or shorten their business hours – and the potential to grow and develop – because they cannot build the teams necessary to support the workload. They are also dealing with wage increases which this situation creates while not necessarily operating at capacity.

“By committing to restore, recover and reform the trading environment for local businesses by opposing new business and consumer taxes in the form of low emission zones, the workplace parking levy and the tourist tax, local councillors can demonstrate that they understand local businesses concerns and support our business build back plan. We want all local candidates from across the political spectrum to get behind local businesses, help them get back on their feet and give businesses the certainty they need that council administrations across Scotland will back businesses, assist economic recovery and boost growth.”

Call to Restore, Recover & Reform as Council candidates in Perth and Kinross urged to back local businesses

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