22 Local Authorities Increase Rates While the Wider Economy Focuses on Cutting Costs
0% Rate Increase for 12 Local Authorities Sets Benchmark
Chambers Ireland Calls on Remaining Authorities to Review their Charges and Cut Costs for Business
Chambers Ireland has today (26/02/09) noted that 22 of the 34 local authorities in Ireland have increased charges at a time when the whole economy is focussed on cutting costs. 12 other local authorities have opted for a 0% commercial rates increase. This data was gathered from a census of local authority charges collected by Chambers throughout Ireland.
Chair of Chambers Ireland’s Ratepayers Council Hilary Haydon said, “Local authority charges such as commercial rates, water charges and development levies have been increasing year on year. Yet in 2009 our collective focus must be on cost cutting and containment. The cost of living is declining; wage costs are declining why are local authority charges not doing likewise? These charges which must be paid whether a firm is profitable or not damage competitiveness and add to the other economic challenges faced by Irish business.”
“Given the current performance of the economy and our manifest need to restore competitiveness, all Irish local authorities should pass on the benefits of the pay pause and pension levy to public service salaries, and revisit the calculations on which any agreed increases were based–not just in commercial rates but also in water and waste charges.”
“The 12 county councils that did not increase rates set a benchmark. Others should examine their operations, identify potential savings and efficiencies, and pass resultant savings onto the business community in order to preserve businesses and jobs in the future,” Haydon added.
“Councils must not simply move charges from one heading to another. They must pass on cuts in costs that they have achieved over the past year to business in order to both help those businesses contain costs, and sustain local authorities’ own long term revenue streams,” he concluded.
Fingal Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Chamber Buildings, North Street, Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. T +353 1 890 0977 I F +353 1 890
0990 I E info@fingaldublinchamber.ie
