It is good to see more clarity and focus this week on what businesses can open and when. It is also great to see that we are now allowed to meet inside with other households. This will be very welcome relief for many families who have been without any childcare support for the last 14 weeks. It is important however, to remain vigilant.
The look on Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer’s, face in light of all the backslapping and rejoicing in the UK Government really says it all. I think Northern Ireland has shown restraint. It is great news that (as of Saturday 27th June) there were no Covid-19 patients receiving treatment in NI ICU Units. We need to get the economy moving but we need to do so slowly, and carefully to ensure a second wave does not emerge. We would have even less resilience to allow for recovery, if faced with lockdown in the winter and the impending Brexit.
Some of the telling things to emerge this week are the unemployment figures. In Northern Ireland it has more than doubled in two months according to official figures. I think unfortunately this is going to be a dominant story in the weeks and months ahead. Many employers have already started redundancy consultations or decided not to reopen, including well-known names in our area. This will have a devastating impact on the local economy. While people are on the Job Retention Scheme, they had at least, income coming in. Consumer confidence is key to rebuilding our economy, with redundancy and job losses, this confidence will be knocked. We cannot afford this.
It is, therefore, significant to see NMD Council issue a statement to update on local capital projects including Community Treatment Hub, the consultation at Albert Basin Park, Southern Relief Road, and the Council’s own projects. We have also seen Stormont highlighting commitments to a range of central investments including in the education sector. Well done to St Louis’s Grammar in Kilkeel for getting their project across the line. It will be vital for recovery, growth, and confidence for us to see these projects moving quickly. Providing job opportunities and job retention in the local construction sector etc. might help mitigate losses in other areas.
I also see Southern Regional College offering opportunities to retrain and upskill in areas including fully funded Electrical courses under the Skills Focus Programme. It will be important for our local business community to work with the college, universities and schools going forward, to make sure we have the skills to adapt to the future workload.
On that note I congratulate Belfast on being named one of the best-connected cities in the world and featuring in the ‘Top Ten Tech Cities of the Future’. It is a pity this connectively does not extend to our own area. It is definitely an impediment to doing business and attracting new businesses, especially in the rural hinterland. There is lots of chat about ‘Project Stratem’ and its wonderful potential but little action and even less speed- especially if you live in the countryside.
I think you will see a theme emerging in the weeks ahead as I continue to talk about Brexit. We have heard this week that the Port of Larne is preparing to become a border control post. We will follow this story over the coming weeks because unsurprisingly, the response from the Prime Minister offered no clarity. With less than six months to go- there remains little to go on for Northern Ireland businesses.
On a more positive note, by the time this goes to print, we will have had the opportunity to listen to Feargal McCormick PKFFPM in conversation with Declan Kelly, Advisor to world leading businesses. This is a Newry Mourne and Down Council initiative in conjunction with Management and Leadership Network called ‘Re:Launch- Re:imaging Business and Leadership’. I have no doubt it will be an insightful event and I hope you will have had the opportunity to tune in.
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