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01/11/2011
Retailers Call For 'Boldness And Urgency'
The UKs retailers have called for the Governemnt to act with "boldness and urgency" to restore customers' confidence to spend and rebuild retailers' appetite to invest and resume job creation.
In a letter to George Osborne on Monday, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) set out retailers' key priorities for developing a positive agenda for growth.
The BRC's submission said that with consumer spending now in recession, tax increases due to increase the squeeze on household budgets, and retail employment now falling - the Chancellor needed to urgently deliver genuine support for growth by holding back costs under his control.
British Retail Consortium Director General Stephen Robertson said: "With consumer spending and retail job numbers dropping, rebuilding the confidence of customers to spend and retailers to return to investing and creating jobs has to be the Chancellor's priority.
"He must hold back the costs he is responsible for. Freezing Council Tax offers welcome relief to hard-pressed households. The Chancellor should go further and help businesses and consumers by freezing fuel duty rates."
Responding to the letter, Toby Perkins MP, Labour's Shadow Small Business Minister,
Said the BRC had highlighted that businesses up and down the country are calling for an effective plan for growth now.
"In our five point plan, we are calling for a temporary VAT cut which would put £450 in the pocket of each family and help boost the high street and protect jobs in retail and get the growth we need to get the deficit down," the Labour Minister said.
"Out of touch ministers have simply stood by complacently as consumer confidence has plummeted and the high street is suffering."
The BRC said that a massive 5.6% Business Rates increase next April would come on top of a 4.6% increase this year.
Meanwhile, September's RPI is also due to dictate an increase in fuel duty next August. Added to the 3.02 pence per litre increase already due on 1 January 2012 that would mean duty increases next year totalling between 7 and 8 pence.
"To support businesses and customers, both of these need a radical rethink," a BRC spokesman said.
(DW/GK)
In a letter to George Osborne on Monday, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) set out retailers' key priorities for developing a positive agenda for growth.
The BRC's submission said that with consumer spending now in recession, tax increases due to increase the squeeze on household budgets, and retail employment now falling - the Chancellor needed to urgently deliver genuine support for growth by holding back costs under his control.
British Retail Consortium Director General Stephen Robertson said: "With consumer spending and retail job numbers dropping, rebuilding the confidence of customers to spend and retailers to return to investing and creating jobs has to be the Chancellor's priority.
"He must hold back the costs he is responsible for. Freezing Council Tax offers welcome relief to hard-pressed households. The Chancellor should go further and help businesses and consumers by freezing fuel duty rates."
Responding to the letter, Toby Perkins MP, Labour's Shadow Small Business Minister,
Said the BRC had highlighted that businesses up and down the country are calling for an effective plan for growth now.
"In our five point plan, we are calling for a temporary VAT cut which would put £450 in the pocket of each family and help boost the high street and protect jobs in retail and get the growth we need to get the deficit down," the Labour Minister said.
"Out of touch ministers have simply stood by complacently as consumer confidence has plummeted and the high street is suffering."
The BRC said that a massive 5.6% Business Rates increase next April would come on top of a 4.6% increase this year.
Meanwhile, September's RPI is also due to dictate an increase in fuel duty next August. Added to the 3.02 pence per litre increase already due on 1 January 2012 that would mean duty increases next year totalling between 7 and 8 pence.
"To support businesses and customers, both of these need a radical rethink," a BRC spokesman said.
(DW/GK)
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