Greater collaboration, skills
and innovation will propel the economy to another level, deputy First
Minister, Martin McGuinness has said.
Speaking at a Derry Chamber
of Commerce event, Martin McGuinness told guests he fully supports the work of
the Chamber of Commerce and it is only right to celebrate the achievements of
the business community in Derry and the North West.
He said the Executive is
committed to strengthening the links between the public and private sector,
between the Executive and our business community.
The deputy First Minister
said: "As an Executive we want to grow the economy and raise prosperity
for all.
"The tireless work of
the Chamber and all the members are an important part of this programme of
work. This Executive has demonstrated our commitment to the North West through
our £7million support of the City of Derry Airport, the prioritisation of the
£480million investment in the much needed A5 and A6 road schemes and also the
ambitious project on the Old Waterside Station in Derry making it a new
transport hub."
The deputy First Minister
said the economy and availability of jobs would be a catalyst for change.
He said: "Our
unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since 2008. We must not be
complacent and although we have brought in more jobs than any time in our
history, this Executive is committed to creating more and better jobs. As we
move further into recovery, focus needs to shift to improving the productivity
performance of the local economy by enhancing our skills, innovation and
enterprise.
"The availability of
skills and the need to ensure a steady supply of labour into key growth sectors
will be vital for the local economy which makes the development of the Magee
Campus of Ulster University and continued engagement by the North West
Regional College with business essential.
"I am determined to
deliver and to move forward with the Chamber of Commerce and everyone who wants
to make a positive contribution to create a strong economy and better future
for all.”
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First Minister, the Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster and Finance Minister Máirtín Ó
Muilleoir have attended the BBC Good Food Show in Belfast.
The show is taking place at the Belfast Waterfront from 14-16 October as
part of a three-year deal which will see it return again in 2017 and
2018.
Welcoming the event to Northern Ireland for the first time, First Minister,
Arlene Foster said: “It
is a great pleasure to welcome the BBC Good Food Show to Belfast for the first
time during Belfast Restaurant Week and Northern Ireland’s 2016 Year of Food
and Drink.
“Over 10,000 visitors
will visit the Waterfront over the next three days giving us another tremendous
opportunity to showcase everything that is good about Northern Ireland. Our
Michelin starred restaurants, award winning food tours and Gold Star Great
Taste Award winning products, all strengthen Northern Ireland's reputation for
excellence in food production.
“Good quality food
and dining are a vital part of any tourism experience and the staging of BBC
Good Food Show here in Belfast gives local producers a tremendous platform to
show off Northern Ireland’s unique food and drink heritage to potential new
buyers and tourists alike.
“I look forward to
welcoming the show back to Northern Ireland in 2017 and 2018 and I have no
doubt it will go from strength to strength.”
Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir MLA said: “The newly extended Belfast Waterfront
is the perfect location for the BBC Good Food Show. Today’s event is an
excellent opportunity to showcase our award winning food and drink producers,
placing the spotlight on talented local chefs and celebrated restaurants. For
the past ten months we have been celebrating the different tastes and flavours
from across the north and once again local companies have scooped awards at the
Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards and the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food
Awards.”
Notes to editors:
1. Supported by Tourism NI, Invest NI and Food NI, the BBC Good Food Show is
an integral part of the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016.
2. The show will include demonstrations from celebrity chefs Paul Hollywood,
John Torode and the Hairy Bikers coupled with tasting sessions with local chefs
Paul Rankin, Danny Millar and Danni Barry. For further information please visit
www.discovernorthernireland.com
3. Follow us on Twitter @niexecutive
Communities Minister, Paul Givan MLA, has today welcomed news that
businesses in Enniskillen have voted to establish a Business Improvement
District (BID) in the town.
In an announcement made on Friday evening, businesses in Enniskillen have
given the green light to the proposals and voted ‘YES’ to a BID that will
give them a greater say in how their town is managed.
Welcoming the move, Minister Givan said: “Congratulations to all the businesses and stakeholders
who have worked together with the local council to achieve this result which is
very positive news. By voting in favour of a BID, businesses will now
help to deliver over £1.2m of additional investment, over the next five years,
on projects led and managed by the business community within the Enniskillen
BID area. I congratulate everyone involved for their hard work in
achieving this.”
Enniskillen BID is the last of six BID Pilots that have been receiving
extensive capacity-building support and training through the NI BID Academy to
vote yes to establishing a BID in their area. The Academy, established
and funded by the Department for Communities provided a structured training and
support system for the BID Pilots to help them develop their proposals.
Minister Givan added:
“Through working with the Northern Ireland BIDs Academy, established and funded
by my Department, Enniskillen BID and the other BID Pilots locations have
received invaluable support from experienced practitioners who have overseen the
establishment of successful BIDs in many other towns and cities in the
UK. I wish them all every success as they work to develop their areas.”
Notes to editors:
- Through participation in the Department for Communities
Northern Ireland BIDs Academy, the Enniskillen BID has been working with
local businesses and other organisations to develop ideas for moving
forward. These ideas were presented in a BID proposal which was given the
green light by BID participants in a ballot which closed on Thursday, 13th
October.
- The pilot areas were: Ballymena, Belfast Cathedral
Quarter, Belfast City Centre, Enniskillen, Newry, and Strabane.
- A BID is developed, managed and paid for by the non
domestic sector by means of a compulsory BID levy which the businesses
within the proposed BID area or sector must vote in favour of before the
BID can be established.
- A BID is not a substitute for central or local
government services but is a way additional funding can be raised. The
businesses then decide how the additional funds are spent to strengthen
their trading and market sector.
- Follow us on twitter @CommunitiesNI
- For media enquires please contact the DfC Press Office
on 028 9082 3909 or email press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk.
For out of hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number
07623 974383 and your call will be returned.
Economy Minister Simon Hamilton MLA has told the Northern Ireland Chamber of
Commerce that a relentless focus on sectors of our economy that are already
world class and those that could become world class is essential if Northern
Ireland is to transform into a globally competitive economy.
Simon Hamilton drew a parallel with Team GB in the recent Rio Olympics and
Paralympics where athletes and sports most likely to yield medal success were
supported in terms of finance, training and technology.
Speaking at the Chamber event in Belfast the Minister said, "We are only at the beginning of
the journey to become globally competitive. It is a journey which won't
be complete in a year. It won't even be finished in five. This is a
decade long effort at least.
“My Department is
currently working hard at refreshing and renewing our Economic Strategy.
In essence it will be the road map that will, I hope, lead us to a time when
Northern Ireland is once again punching above its weight on the international
economic stage. It is my intention that the new Economic Strategy will be bold
and ambitious and outline a vision of how our economy will look in 2030 and
beyond. Having come through the downturn and made significant strides forward
in re-balancing our economy, we now have the opportunity to push ahead and put
in place a plan that will transform our economy for the better.
“It is a transformed
economy that we must set our sights upon. An economy where more of our
companies have an international outlook and exporting goods, products and
services outside of our region. An economy where an increasing number of
businesses realise their high growth potential and scale up from small to
medium sized companies, employing more people in the process. An economy
where entrepreneurship and enterprise is endemic and reflected in a growing
status as a start-up nation. An economy where innovation is embedded in
the DNA of every company. An economy where government is business's
biggest supporter, putting in place financial, infrastructural and policy
support to ensure our economy thrives. An economy where we build
industries on the back of where we are genuinely world class in academic
research. An economy where our people possess the skills they need to
improve their lives. And – above all – an economy that works for
everyone.”
The Minister concluded: "Being
a globally competitive economy won't mean that Northern Ireland will become one
of the biggest economies in the world. But what it does mean is that we
will have a well earned, totally justified, evidence based reputation as one of
the world's most dynamic, innovative and high performing small advanced
economies.
“I am immensely proud
of the world beating performance of so many of our local businesses. The
fact that one in three London red buses are made by Wrightbus in
Ballymena. That one in ten of the cholesterol tests used in the world are
made by Randox and that Moy Park produces 25% of Western Europe's
chicken. It is this sort of success I want us to build on in our new
Economic Strategy.
“Only by
concentrating our efforts on those sectors and sub sectors of the economy where
we can truly shine on the international stage will we be able to
breakthrough. We need to ask ourselves what are we already world class at
and what could we become world class at? What are the areas of the economy
where we have excellent research capability, large innovative companies, a
superb SME supply chain and the requisite skills base? Then we need to
ruthlessly and relentlessly support those sectors towards even greater success.
“In many ways, what
we need for our economy is to emulate the ethos of Team GB in the Olympics and
Paralympics. Team GB identified the sports and the athletes who were most
likely to produce medal success. They then invested heavily in the
people, their training and the technology they used.
An economy our size
can't succeed in every sector. But we can be world class where we are
already strong and where we are showing promise. Like Team GB, we
shouldn't be afraid to support those sectors that can make our economy globally
competitive.
“This is not an easy
task by any means. There will be doubters. And there will be
challenges along the way. But I am convinced that using all of our
talents and supporting the sectors most likely to succeed, Northern Ireland can
transform over time into a genuinely globally competitive economy.”
Notes to editors:
- For media enquiries contact DFE Press Office on 028
9052 9604. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via
pager number 07623 974383 and your call will be returned.
- Follow us on Twitter @Economy_NI
