Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is urging politicians to increase their understanding and support of businesses in their policy programmes ahead of the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections.
In a report entitled “Rally for Growth”, the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce has set forth a business led blueprint outlining key steps that must be taken in the new Scottish Parliament to support business following the damage caused by the pandemic and to allow for economic recovery.
Chief Executive of the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Vicki Unite said:
“Our wide-ranging Rally for Growth Action Plan is the ‘manifesto’ of the business community to forge a new, closer, more effective alliance between Scottish businesses and the next Scottish Parliament.
“We hope our plan will provide a comprehensive yet practical set of ideas that will be fundamental to ensuring that our economy bounces back and is ready to grasp new trading opportunities here and abroad. The pace of Government action must be accelerated considerably.
“The Scottish people need commerce and government to align if we are to tackle the big challenges ahead. In this most critical moment, it is vital that Scottish Ministers and business leaders are talking the same language and recognising the need to balance long-term strategies for growth alongside concrete action in the in the here and now, to ensure we retain as many businesses as possible whilst creating new jobs.”
The Rally for Growth Action Plan calls for the next Scottish Parliament to pass a Business Growth Act within the first 100 days. The plan should address the most pressing issues facing businesses such as costs, international trade, upskilling and reskilling the workforce as well as investment in infrastructure.
It also calls for establishing a new ‘Joint Economic Partnership’ that would oversee a program of pro-enterprise, pro-growth policies to boost business growth and create jobs.
Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is part of The Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network which represents over 12,500 businesses in Scotland and provides a gateway to the International Chambers of Commerce Network.
The Scottish Chamber of Commerce Network provides practical support and advice across Scotland through mentoring, coaching, business support services and international trade support.
For more information or to join your local Chamber of Commerce, visit www.scottishchambers.org.uk/our-network