The Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) has welcomed the publication of a consultation paper by the North's devolved government, aimed at reviewing Northern Ireland’s £588 million a year non-domestic rates system.
“The retail industry whole-heartedly welcomes the DFP consultation on rates reform," said Aodhán Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium.
"Retail contributes about a quarter of the total rates tax take and this review is the best opportunity to affect real change in our lifetime on what is an outdated and damaging tax on jobs, growth and investment.
"We would encourage retailers and others to be a part of this change and make their voice heard. But most of all we are asking the political parties to have the courage and the will to change a tax that is simply not fit for purpose. Doing nothing on rates reform is no longer an option.”
The NIRC has been among the groups calling for a rates review for some time, most recently in its 2016 Policy Agenda.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
