In our written response to the Welsh Assembly Government's consultation on the single-use carrier bag charge, we call for the WAG to think again about plans to enforce a nation-wide 7p charge on single-use carrier bags from March 2011.
The Assembly Government is requiring all retailers including supermarkets, clothes shops, fast food takeaways etc to charge customers 7p per bag or face fines of up to £250,000.
In our response we have argued that the proposed charge of 7p should be reduced to 5p in order to avoid unintended consequences.
We have also expressed our concern that the commencement date of March 2011 does not provide retailers with adequate time to prepare for the charge.
You can view our full response here (PDF 3MB).
It is clear from reading Economic renewal: a new direction the Welsh Assembly Government has listened to the concerns of our members.
We strongly welcome the Assembly Government's change of approach. The overall Assembly Government's response was very much in-line with our consultation response.
As Wales' economic recovery will be led by private sector growth, we are greatly encouraged by the ambitious whole government response.
Growing the private sector must now be the government's overarching goal.
The announcement is encouraging but delivery, as ever, is everything. This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to collaborate with the Assembly Government in order to help deliver its aims, therefore we look forward to working with them to bring these proposals to life. As we digest the details, we will have questions – especially on detail and delivery.
Key points from the economic renewal announcement include:
Delivering Next Generation Broadband to the majority of Welsh businesses is excellent news. This ambitious project has real potential to give Wales a competitive advantage and support future economic growth in a number of sectors. The sooner this project begins, the better.
Planning is a major enabler of economic growth. A supportive planning system would better position us in the race for low-carbon growth. Businesses need more certainty and consistency within the planning process. The new Planning Policy Statement on Economic Renewal has the potential to deliver this if it is sufficiently robust. We look forward to working with the Assembly Government to deliver this.
We fully support the new National Infrastructure Plan for Wales. This is something we have strongly called for. A framework for delivering important infrastructure is exactly what is needed. The plan will need to send the right signals to the private sector which will be key to delivering the plan. Both scale and pace will be important here.
We have devoted a considerable amount of time making the case for a better, smarter, approach to regulation from the Assembly. We are delighted they have committed to assess the impact of legislation on businesses at the earliest possible time.
The focused support for the on-going role for inward investment has struck the right balance.
A more comprehensive briefing will be available shortly. We are keen to receive members views. Please contact our head of policy Leighton Jenkins on 02920977600 or Leighton.Jenkins@cbi.org.uk. more
Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan MP, CBI Wales chair Scott Waddington and CBI president Helen Alexander
280 guests congregated at the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff for our annual lunch.
The first of our keynote speakers, CBI president Helen Alexander, spoke of the importance of using spending cuts rather than taxes to rebalance the public finances."Tax rises, and especially tax rises on business, will hamper private sector investment and growth, which is what the economy needs above all else," said Helen.
The new secretary of state for Wales, Cheryl Gillan MP, also addressed guests.
Defending recent government cuts Ms Gillan said "These are the tough decisions we will make so we can build an economy that works for everyone and send the message out that the UK and Wales is open for business."
She stressed the importance of ensuring Wales is not perceived as a worse place to do business: "We need to ensure that businesses do not see devolution or government in Westminster or Cardiff Bay as a barrier, but as an asset."
She also assured guests that the coalition government would to support the private sector and encourage growth. "We need to move into the sunlight of confidence and stability, rather than living in the shadow of debt and uncertainty. And strong and decisive action will create the environment in which you can create the wealth we need in Wales." Our sincere thanks goes to UWIC who once again sponsored this successful and interesting event.
We organise a variety of high profile events bringing together politicians, business leaders, decision makers and influencers to debate the important questions facing Welsh businesses today.
Highlights of the business calendar include our annual dinner and annual lunch offering member companies and their guests a chance to listen to high profile guest speakers, while enjoying the finest corporate hospitality and excellent networking opportunities.
MP Question Time – style events take place twice a year giving members a chance to engage with a panel of leading politicians from each party, influencing their thinking on the future of the Welsh economy. Forums, committee meetings and private dinners are held on a regular basis to keep members in touch with policy development and share best practice.
To find out more, contact Amanda Buckley or view our events calendar.