19 April 2010

Aberdeen Central Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald has called on SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney to meet representatives from the Aberdeen business community urgently regarding the huge business rate increases imposed this month by the Scottish Government.

Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce has called on John Swinney for an urgent meeting after being swamped by complaints by North East businesses about the SNP’s decision not to phase in rates rises as is being done in the rest of Britain.

Lewis Macdonald said:

"John Swinney should meet the Chamber of Commerce this week, and he should tell them what he plans to do to phase in the rates increases he has imposed on hundreds of businesses across the North East.

"The Chamber of Commerce has said today, that their members ‘are astonished that a Scottish Government is putting them at a competitive disadvantage with their counterparts in the rest of the UK by denying transitional relief to businesses facing exceptional cost increases at a time of great economic uncertainty.’

"I agree with that John Swinney should meet the Chamber of Commerce, not just to explain why he’s got it so wrong but to tell them what he’s going to do to put it right."