Commenting on today’s meeting between the Secretary of State and Northern Ireland’s political party leaders, Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry said:
“This needs to be a pivotal moment, where decisions that are made now about Northern Ireland’s public finances could determine what sort of future we have for generations to come. It needs those with ultimate responsibility for our public finances to grasp the nettle and create a new fiscal framework which delivers for people and the economy.
“The return of a stable, full-functioning Executive is an absolute priority. The sustainability of Northern Ireland’s public finances will be the most pressing issue that it will face.
“At NI Chamber, we believe that difficult decisions about how we raise and spend money need to be taken but they must aspire to much more than a balancing of the books.
“What is needed is a short, sharp independent review of public spending, a new approach to how Northern Ireland is funded from Westminster that reflects ‘need’ and a more holistic approach which supports our ambitions to be a competitive, low-carbon and inclusive economy.”
