Ex-civil servant says 'politics trumped economics' in NI in 2023

Plus manufacturing chief hits out at industrial rates plan [Belfast Telegraph]( Tuesday, 02 January 2024 [Weekly Business Digest]( [premium] [Ex-senior civil servant: ‘I worked extraordinarily hard to ensure multi-million investment plans for NI weren’t dropped in the wake of GB bombings’](   [Margaret Canning] Margaret Canning Business Editor Welcome to this week’s Business Telegraph, and Happy New Year to all of you. This week, [Colin Lewis looks back on 2023]( a year when “politics trumped economics”. He also casts his mind back to the 1990s, when as a civil servant in the IDB he says he worked “extraordinarily hard” to ensure investment plans weren’t scrapped in the week of the Docklands and Manchester bombings. Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly hits out at the [proposal to remove industrial derating]( which gives a 70% discount in rates to factories. The organisation has also announced the [appointment of Richard Hogg]( as its new chair. James Scallon, CEO of SOS Sales in Armagh, talks to Flávia Gouveia about its [change in direction]( into new vehicles and equipment. And in his New Year message, [NI Chamber president Cathal Geoghegan]( calls on politicians to get back into government. In our [Big Interview]( John McGrillen of Tourism NI talks to me about the successes of the industry in the last few years. [BoyleSports chief executive Vlad Kaltenieks]( tells Sean Pollock why it hasn’t given up on expansion in the UK. Thank you, and see you next week. Margaret Canning Top Stories [Industrial rates plan ‘deeply damaging for communities’ in NI](   [Macrete Ireland boss appointed to lead board of Manufacturing NI](   [premium] [New business model leads to lucrative deal at Armagh tanker firm](   [NI Chamber chief calls for restored Executive in New Year statement](   [premium] [‘Why I’m optimistic our Markethill-founded betting firm will crack the UK’](   [Shop price inflation steady in December as food prices fall](   [Aldi and Lidl cheer record-breaking festive sales](   --------------------------------------------------------------- YOU MIGHT LIKE --------------------------------------------------------------- Interview [Premium] [Tourism NI chief: ‘It’s important NI is seen to be politically stable in order for us to continue to attract people here’]( Opinion [Let’s hope 2024 is the year NI exploits the huge opportunities that have been presented to us](   And Finally... [Most memorable NI pubs and bars of 2023](   What do you think of this email? [Positive]( [Positive]( [Negative]( [Negative]( [belfasttelegraph]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Facebook]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL This email is from Belfast Telegraph part of Mediahuis UK Ltd. You received this email because you have signed up for the Belfast Telegraph Business Newsletter. [Contact Us]( | [Privacy Statement]( | [Cookie Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright - 2023 All Rights Reserved