CORNWALL CHAMBER CEO, KIM CONCHIE, FINDS REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL.

The daffs are out, the birds are singing in the morning, and it’s not dark when I drive home from work; spring is on its way, and I’ve definitely witnessed a subtle change in mood at our events recently.

That of course, may be down to some good news where the country’s economic position is concerned: last month we heard that the UK is not in recession, and that inflation –whilst still in double digits, is going down. Don’t get me wrong, the fact we’re not in recession is a very weak silver lining; the economy hasn’t gone into reverse, but only because the damage of the pandemic was greater than initially thought.

Similarly, where inflation is concerned, businesses continue to be battered by rising costs from raw materials, wages, energy, new trade barriers, and taxation; and the Bank of England’s approach to bringing inflation down

The British Chambers of Commerce has said a number of businesses have experienced as much as 600% increases in gas and electricity costs. The Government must do a U-turn on the decision it made before Christmas: to offer a pot of money and essentially walk away. The only way to create the stable environment needed to support investment and a focus on skills, infrastructure and green technology, is to provide businesses with security.

It’s chicken and egg at the moment; lots of issues must be solved in order to unlock growth potential of businesses and therefore control inflation, but inflation levels are making the Government very cautious.

In other news, I think Rishi’s restructure of The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is positive. We now have a department dedicated to business and trade, and a department specifically focusing on energy security and Net Zero.

The latter could be a great asset to Cornwall as we push to be the first region to achieve net zero and take the reins in the green industrial revolution.

Stay positive, push on, have faith. We’ve got a tough old year ahead, but things are perhaps, kind of, somewhat, maybe a little tiny weeny bit better than predicted.

The judges are looking for nominations that represent the true diversity Cornwall has to offer and the unique contribution these passionate and talented people are adding to our region.

Enter now at the Chamber website, best of luck!

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Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business.

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