70 leading Welsh businesses and chambers of commerce have jointly signed a letter to the Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones calling on him to extend the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme to effectively abolish business rates on rateable values up to £12,000.
The current scheme provides complete relief for businesses with a rateable value up to £6,000 and is tapered up to £12,000.
Welsh Conservatives have long called for 100% business rate relief for businesses with a rateable value of up to £12,000 and relief tapered from 100% to 0% for those with a rateable value of up to £15,000.
This move would see 73% of businesses taken out of business rates altogether and a further 5% benefitting from tapered relief.
Andrew RT Davies AM, Leader of the Opposition, said: “This is a clear statement to the Labour First Minister from 70 small businesses across Wales and chambers of trade representing hundreds more, that business rates are an obstacle to job creation and prosperity.
“These small employers are the backbone of the Welsh economy with all small and medium sized businesses making up 99% of all Welsh firms.
“If every small business in the country was to take on one extra employee, unemployment could be wiped out overnight.
“Under Labour, many small businesses are struggling with the throttling burden of extortionate business rates and enough is enough.
“Carwyn Jones should be supporting small businesses which are critical to building a balanced and successful economy rather than one dependent on the public sector.
“An extension to the Small Business Rate Relief scheme is not critical to not only the performance, but also the survival of many small businesses, particularly those on the high streets, which are plagued with empty and boarded up shops.
“Welsh Conservatives have long campaigned for business rate reform to help small businesses to stay afloat, expand and create new jobs.
“Welsh Conservatives want to see business rates abolished for all small businesses to help small businesses thrive and bring life back to many of our increasingly deserted high streets.
“We hope Labour Ministers will listen to the concerns of small businesses and address their calls for urgent business rate reform.”
