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Chamber CEO Meets With Minister
(Clonmel Chamber CEO, Brian Cleary, with Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, at their meeting in Dublin)
The difficulties currently facing businesses throughout Ireland was the key message delivered by Clonmel Chamber CEO, Brian Cleary, at a meeting with Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, last week in Dublin. The Chamber CEO met with the Minister to discuss the anticipated rise in VAT, reforms to sick leave and supports available to businesses in the current climate.
“The scope of the meeting was wide ranging. Increases to the top rate of VAT were discussed at length. I did not take the Minister's contention that the increase amounts to 'merely €20 per €1000 spent'. This anticipated increase will drive more businesses in to the black economy or see others soaking up the cost so that they do not have to pass the increase on to customers. Regardless of whichever way one looks at this, it does not make sense. I spoke to the Minister about how the touted increase was an estimation based on the tax take by the Revenue Commissioners and not based on perceived spending. He was left in no doubt that this is a retrograde step” said Cleary.
The meeting also covered the developments within the County Enterprise Boards and the need for public procurement opportunities to be opened up to smaller businesses. Fifteen billion euro per annum is spent on state contracts and the Clonmel Chamber CEO insisted that more SME's needed to be allowed to tender for these contracts. “This is a topic that we have been championing for quite some time and I am delighted that the Minister is working with the National Procurement Service to introduce a range of seminars for the SME sector on this topic. We held a similar event earlier this year that attracted significant interest” he added.
The meeting was held as part of a number of meetings that the Minister was attending with key organisations in Ireland following the publication of the Small Business Advisory Group report last week.
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Clonmel Chamber of Commerce, 8 Sarsfield Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Tel :+353 (0)52 6126500
Tel :+353 (0)52 6126500
