L E G I S L AT I O N
WELSH GOVERNMENT
Welsh businesses need ‘targeted’ support ACS says the Welsh Government needs to help retailers invest in energy efficiency measures and take action to ensure that stores can get the deliveries they need.
T
he Association of Convenience store has given oral evidence to the Welsh Parliament’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee, which has published a report on the impact of the cost-of-the living crisis on businesses and communities across the country. ACS is cited in the report, highlighting the need for the Welsh Government to provide support to local shops in Wales by helping them to invest in energy efficiency measures, recognising the status of employment in convenience stores, and taking action to ensure that stores can get the deliveries that they need.
The report includes a number of recommendations, including:
the reasons behind high rates of economic inactivity.
● Use business rate relief to support the most affected businesses until inflation returns to a level close to the Bank of England’s target. ● Consider supporting businesses to invest in efficiency savings which will help them lower fuel and energy costs. ● Set out plans to provide further cost-of-living-related support to households at the start of the 2023-24 financial year. ● Commission labour market
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research to better understand
ACS chief executive, James Lowman, said: “The cost-of-living crisis has had a significant impact on people living in Wales but it is vital to remember that businesses, including convenience stores, are also experiencing a cost-oftrading crisis. Local shops provide thousands of jobs to communities across Wales and access to essential products and services but this is becoming increasingly difficult as a result of rising costs and issues with the supply chain.
