Six-point-plan for businesses

Russell George is heading up a Welsh Conservatives six point plan to boost small firms.

The call for action comes on Small Business Saturday, a campaign to highlight small business success and to encourage consumers to ‘shop local’.

The Montgomeryshire Assembly Member wants the Welsh Government to take promised action on business rates, improve access to procurement contracts and to revitalise Welsh high streets by supporting local authorities to increase the provision of free parking spaces.

The six-point-plan has been tabled by Mr George as an Assembly ‘Statement of Opinion’ urging AMs of all parties to support calls for:

· Scrapping Business Rates for all small businesses in Wales;

· Ensuring better access to public sector procurement contracts for small Welsh firms;

· Accelerating the roll-out of superfast broadband to all parts of Wales;

· Funding the Development Bank of Wales to ensure that SMEs and Welsh entrepreneurs have the financial support they need to thrive;

· Boosting foot fall on the Welsh High Street by introducing more free parking;

· Targeting training to ensure the Welsh workforce is equipped with the skills needed to enable Welsh SMEs to thrive.

Mr George, said: “Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to champion the key role played by small firms, and that’s why we are calling on the Welsh Government to take steps to support them.

“We want to see business rates scrapped for all small Welsh SMEs, and meaningful action from the Cabinet Secretary to help more of them to access public sector procurement contracts.

“Our six point plan also on the Welsh Government to redouble its efforts to revitalise the Welsh high street by supporting local authorities which increase the provision of free parking spaces.

“Small Business Saturday should be about celebration, but we also need to reflect on the current climate for small Welsh firms and focus on the issues which prevent them from reaching their full potential.

“I hope that Assembly Members of all parties will back these measures.

“The Welsh Government has to play its part, clearly, but we can all do our bit to support small firms by shopping locally this weekend”.

Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies, said:

“As the Party of small businesses, Welsh Conservatives have long highlighted the key role they play in the Welsh economy and that’s why we continue to press the Welsh Labour Government to take steps to better support them.

“Small and medium sized businesses make up 99 per cent of all Welsh firms and if every one were to take on a single additional employee, unemployment in Wales could be wiped out overnight.”