PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Welcome to all our members and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this edition of CONNECTED. This is my final magazine as President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce – and what an immensely enjoyable and inspiring year it has been. The past 12 months have remained challenging for local businesses, but on so many occasions and across so many sectors I have been privileged to witness first-hand the resilience, optimism and agility of our entrepreneurs to overcome difficulties and to succeed at what they do. The economic forecast for local businesses remains uncertain, with predictions of a stagnating economy and warnings of persistent inflation. Despite renewed calls for a reduction in energy and fuel prices, prices remain prohibitively expensive. Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact households and workers, with retail sales recently falling to a two-year low. With hard-pressed consumers cutting back on spending, it’s essential that when we do go out to shop this Christmas, we do so in our wonderful local stores. As I write, there are glimmers of hope that progress may be being made to restore the Assembly and a functioning Executive. Time and again over the last year, that message has come across loud and clear to me: we need to have power-sharing government returned to Northern Ireland. For the region to truly prosper, we must have all the parties
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back round the table at Stormont, working hard to deliver for the people who live and do business here. Uncertainty is no use to anyone. Stability, however, brings investment, opportunity and potential. Let us hope that if a political breakthrough is achieved in the coming weeks, businesses will be poised to benefit from the many opportunities afforded by our unique position with access to both the UK and European economic markets. The North West has so much to offer – a dynamic, skilled workforce, border proximity, our university campus, our port and airport, with its welcome new London Heathrow route – but it needs more investment, more jobs, better jobs. Chamber provides such an important voice when it comes to highlighting what has been achieved and what needs to happen next and it’s been a privilege to be able to play my part in speaking up for the region and in engaging with political leaders. If the past year has brought inevitable challenges, it has also brought much to celebrate. With the drive to net zero going up a gear, it’s been amazing to hear just how many local companies are already embracing clean energy by making significant steps on cutting emissions. That’s called progress, of course. That’s called embracing the future. That’s what we do best in this part of the world. As I said when I stepped
into this role 12 months ago, businesses here lead the way in innovation, enterprise and industry. As I hand over my Presidential chain of office, I’d like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement over the past year. I’d also like to wish my successor, Greg McCann, of FinTrU, all the very best for his time in this important role. All that remains for me is to wish you and yours a very happy Christmas and a very prosperous 2024. Selina Horshi President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce
