ISME 2010 Press Releases

ISME CAUTIOUSLY WELCOMES GOVERNMENT BANK LENDING PLAN

• All SME sectors must be included in lending plan.
• Central Bank must independently monitor new lending.

SMEs UNCONVINCED BY CREDIT REVIEW OFFICE

• Majority of SMEs not aware of existence of Credit Review Office.
• Increased promotion of review office urgently required.
• Concern at the Office’s lack of authority in dealing with the banks.

GOVERNMENT SQUANDERING OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS COMPETITIVENESS

• Inflation figures continue to mask rising business costs.
• Plan to tackle state controlled costs urgently required.

ISME SLAMS GOVERNMENT FOR CEASING EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS AS JOB LOSSES MOUNT

• Government’s ‘wait and see’ approach contributing to unemployment crisis.
• Serious concern at dramatic rise in long term unemployment.
• Jobs strategy urgently required.

INFLATION

• Negative inflation figures continue to hide rising State influenced costs.
• Competitiveness continues to be ignored by Government.
• ISME calls for Government led national effort to reduce business costs.

CRIME COSTING BUSINESS €1.35bn ANNUALLY

• Reduction in incidence of crime, while costs have escalated in last 12 months.
• 30% of SMEs feel that level of crime is ‘getting worse’.
• Only 7% of business owners confident that criminals will be apprehended.
• Business owners have complete lack of faith in judicial system.
• Increased Garda presence and tougher sentencing required.
• Proper measurement of crime against business a priority.

ISME WELCOMES MINISTER’S DECISION TO SUMMON BANKERS

• Clear and decisive action required to force banks to open lending channels.
• Government intervention required to ‘free up’ badly needed credit.

INFLATION

• SME competitiveness undermined by Government cost agenda
• Root and branch review of State influenced costs urgently required.

REDUNDANCY FIGURES CONFIRM JOBS MARKET REMAINS WEAK

• No let up to jobs crisis as 284 redundancies a day reported.
• Lack of Government jobs plan adding to uncertainty and undermining future growth.
• Employment action plan a priority, says ISME.

LIVE REGISTER FIGURES CONFIRM NO ‘LET UP’ IN JOBS CRISIS

• ISME slams Government inertia, as dole queues largely unchanged.
• Coherent Job Strategy urgently needed to save ‘flagging economy’.

NEW CARBON TAX WILL COST JOBS

• Wrong tax at the wrong time, warns ISME
• Anger expressed as gas price increase undermines competitiveness
• Association calls on Government to reverse decision.

ISME RESPONSE TO MAZARS REPORT ON SME LENDING

• ISME rubbishes report findings.
• No improvement in SME bank lending, contrary to report’s conclusions.
• Government action urgently required to ‘free up’ badly needed credit..

GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE POLICY A SICK JOKE

• Major survey reveals only 18% of SME owner-managers think the Government is pro-enterprise.
• Government policy is mainly directed at Foreign Direct Investment, according to 89% of SMEs.
• 82% of small businesses confirm the need for Development Agencies, yet only one in four (24%) are currently clients.
• ISME calls for a National Enterprise Policy to promote SMEs.

INFLATION

• SME competitiveness restricted by increasing State costs.
• ISME calls for ‘root and branch’ review of State influenced business costs.

RESPONSE TO LIVE REGISTER FIGURES:ISME WARNS OF 60,000 JOBS AT IMMEDIATE RISK IN SME SECTOR

• Jobs need to be ‘priority number one’.
• Unemployment remains a real and present danger.
• Government employment plan urgently required

ISME WELCOMES MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO FORCE BANKS TO INCREASE SME LENDING

• NAMA must be judged on level of SME lending.
• ISME calls on Government to honour SME lending commitment.

LATE PAYMENTS DEBACLE CONTINUES AS GOVERNMENT IGNORES PLIGHT OF SMEs

• Deterioration in payments means Small Business waiting 76 days average for payment, the longest period on record.
• Government ‘dereliction of duty’ on prompt payments is killing Small Business.
• Almost half of companies (48%) experiencing payment delays of over three months, the highest on record.
• Big business and State sector deliberately delaying payments.

ISME’s FIRST QUARTERLY BUSINESS TRENDS SURVEY SPRING 2010

• Improvement in confidence, but business environment viewed as extremely challenging.
• The level of job losses slowing, employment growth some way off.
• 38% expect business conditions to improve.
• However, 62% of SMEs concerned about the survival of their business.
• Economic uncertainty, reduced orders, access to credit and late payments main worries for owner-managers.
• Two-tier economy evident as SMEs lag Multinationals.
• Lack of Government SME supports highlighted in comparison to UK and other international competitors.

ISME CONCERNED AT DIVISION OF FAS IN CABINET RESHUFFLE

• Fear that enterprise training and upskilling policy will be ‘watered down’.
• Disappointment that more emphasis not placed on enterprise and job creation.
• Further delays in redundancy rebates expected as responsibility transferred to Department of Social Protection.

ISME DEMANDS CREATION OF MINISTRY FOR SMALL BUSINESS

• Neglected sector deserves Government recognition.
• Parity of esteem required with FDI sector.
• Sustainable Jobs growth through SME sector needs stimulus.

NAMA WILL NOT INCREASE LENDING, SAYS ISME

• Only one in ten (10%) of SMEs believe NAMA will make a positive difference to lending.
• Banks making it more difficult to access credit according to 80% of companies.
• Direct Government intervention urgently required to free up badly needed credit.

ISME SLAMS MANDATORY PENSION PROPOSAL

• Inflation figures ‘mask’ rising State influenced business costs.
• Competitiveness continues to be undermined by ‘out of touch’ Government.’
• ISME calls for a benchmarking review to compare business costs with our trading competitors.

ISME SLAMS MANDATORY PENSION PROPOSAL

• Huge concern at additional cost to employers.
• ISME calls on Government to rethink ‘unworkable’ pension policy.

GOVERNMENT ACTION REQUIRED TO ADDRESS ‘WORRYING’ REDUNDANCY FIGURES

• 309 redundancies a day, as Government ignores employment crisis.
• National Employment Emergency Plan urgently required.

ISME WARNS OF COMPLACENCY WITH REGARD TO LATEST LIVE REGISTER FIGURES

• Reports of stabilisation in the labour market ‘off the mark’..
• Jobs crisis as ‘bad as ever’
• Government inertia adding to jobs woe.
• National Employment Emergency Plan urgently required..

ISME REPORTS A DETERIORATION IN SME BANK LENDING

• Clear evidence that Banks have ‘shut up shop’.
• Over half of businesses (55%), were refused funding.
• Business closures and job losses directly linked to lack of credit.
• Government intervention required to save thousands of businesses.

INFLATION

• SME competitiveness being undermined by rise in Government influenced costs.
• Government must put same effort into reducing business costs as they did in bailing out errant bankers and property developers.

ISME CALLS FOR MORE URGENCY IN INTRODUCTION OF THIRD BANKING FORCE

• Association extremely concerned at closure of Halifax Branches
• Ominous signs for future competition.
• Concern at increase in bank charges.

LIVE REGISTER: ISME CALLS FOR JOBS ‘THINK TANK’ TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS LABOUR CRISIS

• Government inaction a serious concern.
• Little improvement in sight as labour market ‘crumbles’.
• Jobs ‘think tank’ only way out of current crisis

‘DIRE’ REDUNDANCY FIGURES CONFIRM ONGOING THREAT TO ECONOMY

• Bad start to year as figures highlight no let up in job losses.
• 335 redundancies a day, as Government procrastinates.
• Paralysis of ideas by Government delaying economic growth

ISME SLAMS ‘DESPICABLE’ AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS’ WORK STOPPAGE

• Action sends message that Ireland is closed for business.
• IScurrilous attempt to sabotage the economy.

BUSINESS STILL SUFFERING EXCESSSIVE COSTS
AS NEGATIVE INFLATION CONTINUES

• Government policy and lack of realism continuing to undermine competitiveness.
• Immediate review of all State Influenced Business Costs required.

‘HORRENDOUS’ LIVE REGISTER FIGURES SHOULD SHOCK GOVERNMENT INTO ACTION

• 46% increase over last 12 months.
• Lack of Government action contributing to thousands of job losses.
• Small businesses feel betrayed by Government inertia.
• Company closures and further job losses on the horizon, particularly in first quarter.

URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION REQUIRED TO ADDRESS JOBS CRISIS

• Highest ever Redundancy figures announced.
• In excess of 300 redundancies a day.
• Further job losses anticipated as SME sector remains in ‘crisis mode’.
• ISME calls for expansion of Employment Subsidy Scheme.

IISME WELCOMES REDUCTION IN GAS PRICES

• Slight respite for businesses suffering from exorbitant energy costs.
• ISME calls for speeding up of deregulation of electricity market to reduce costs in that area.

ISME CALLS FOR NATIONAL ENTERPRISE STRATEGY TO KICK-START ECONOMY

• Exchequer figures confirm economy in ‘dire straits’.
• Supporting wealth creators the key to getting us out of economic mess..
• Enterprise Strategy required to launch ‘path to growth’.