UPDATE Chamber Chief’s
During such an uncertain period, NI Chamber is committed to helping you and your business deal with the current situation and the challenges ahead. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor provides an overview of what’s coming up and what’s taken place recently.
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ecently, we have been encouraged to report some signs of recovery in Northern Ireland’s economy. And while trading conditions remain extremely challenging, our latest Quarterly Economic Survey shows growing confidence around turnover and profitability. As more sectors of our economy open up again, we hope these sentiments will continue to improve. However, we must temper this with the reality that there remains significant spare capacity, price pressures are rising and many key balances remain negative. The same survey highlighted that some members are experiencing significant difficulties with new trading arrangements. We have brought your feedback straight to the attention of those who have the ability to change things. I attended a meeting on the Protocol with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis and Minister of State at the Cabinet Office David Frost where we highlighted the specific issues causing delays and increased costs and discussed the need to tone down the stealth-like interpretation of ‘rules’. NI Chamber members were also invited to hear directly from Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands MP when he discussed Free Trade Agreements. Economic recovery from the pandemic continues to be at the fore of all our Ministerial engagements. In Northern Ireland, the department for the Economy’s Economic Recovery Action Plan is going to be central to that. Recently, I was invited speak at a webinar discussing that very plan and share NI Chamber’s response to it. Be assured that we will continue to work with the Department as these plans are rolled out, endeavoring to make sure that critical initiatives to boost skills and apprenticeships, support for exporters and green recovery
plans are implemented as quickly as possible. Post COVID-19 and Brexit we are all operating in a new trading environment, where greater all-island collaboration on areas like infrastructure, research and connectivity will be beneficial for all. So in April, we were very pleased to host an event with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, which highlighted the shared opportunities from all-island partnership working for all sectors. This event was hosted by former BBC NI Political Editor Mark Devenport. He and I were able to ask the Taoiseach your questions on a whole host of issues impacting all-island trade. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit those. Looking ahead, we are very pleased to be offering another timetable of training courses. This includes the return of the British Chamber of Commerce Accredited Foundation Award in International Trade and our very popular one-day training on the NI Protocol. This is an excellent course, delivered by NI Chamber’s own customs experts which provides an overview of the Protocol and what it means for businesses, as well as giving a practical walkthrough of the customs declaration process. Our new Learn Grow Excel Training Academy will also host e-commerce training, looking at the latest selling platforms and ways to generate leads and sales online. That session should be of particular interest to anyone with an established online store, as well as those who have pivoted their businesses to a digital model recently. We received some fantastic feedback on our new-look digital networking experience in March, so I’m pleased to let you know that the NIE Regional Networking series is back at the end of May. For those of you
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who are missing the in-person networking experience, I highly recommend that you give this a go. In closing, I would finally formally welcome Encirc to our esteemed group of NI Chamber Patrons. The support of our Patron organisations is a foundation for all the activity I have referenced above and so much more and therefore it goes without saying that we are very grateful for their fantastic commitment to the development of the Northern Ireland economy.
NEW ESSENTIAL MEMBERS
Access2Funding Aspen Waite Genuine Parts UK Jans Composites Moo to You Nicholl Oils PWS Signs
NEW GROWTH MEMBERS
ACTIONCoach Creagh Concrete Foods Connected WG Baird
NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS
Lakeland Dairies
* To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www.northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 02890 244113.
