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the Press Release Index
9th June 2008
New Figures Show Fewer New Business Start Ups In
Aberdeenshire
North East MSP Alex Johnstone has expressed his
disappointment at figures released by the Committee of
Scottish Clearing Bankers that show nearly 1,200 fewer new
businesses have started up across Scotland in the first
quarter of 2008 than in the same period of 2007.
Commenting on this news, Mr Johnstone said; "In the first
quarter of this year 5,550 new businesses were set up in
Scotland – down on the figure of 6,704 for the same quarter
last year and in the West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine
constituency figures are down to 118 in 2008 from 154 in the
same quarter of 2007."
"These figures show that the Aberdeenshire is not insulated
from the economic problems in the rest of the country. Even
with the North Sea oil industry supporting our economy,
the simultaneous burdens of high fuel costs and
unsustainably high levels of taxation are as damaging here
as they are elsewhere."
“Although disappointing, this demonstrates how right the
Scottish Conservatives were to focus on accelerating the
Government’s proposed business rates cuts, pressing as we
did, in the face of opposition from Labour and Liberal
Democrat MSPs, for the rates burden to be lifted from
hundreds of our smallest businesses. The Small Business
Bonus took effect from 1st of April this year -
delivering a much needed and deserved boost to this most
deserving sector of our economy.”
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