The Welsh Government has announced their plans to cut business rates for small and medium sized leisure, accommodation, and hospitality businesses in Wales by 30% from April next year.
In responding to the announcement, Mair Rowlands MS and Elfed Williams MS expressed their support for the decision, highlighting the opportunity this will create for local businesses in Bangor Conwy Môn to grow and invest.
During the first First Minister’s Questions session after the summer recess, Mair Rowlands MS said:
“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy in Bangor Conwy Môn. A clear example of this in Bangor is Antoniazzi’s cafe, which has been a prominent presence on the high street for 92 years now.”
Before going on to ask if the First Minister agreed: “that the Plaid Cymru government’s commitment to adjust business rates in favour of our independent businesses will give them the confidence to grow and invest, breathing new life into our town centres in the process?“
In response, the First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, said:
“SMEs are the backbone of our economy, and we’ve made it clear, particularly through the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, that we are determined to support and grow indigenous Welsh businesses to ensure that successful businesses continue in Welsh ownership and to give them the confidence to invest in their future’.
Following the exchange, Elfed Williams MS said:
‘Small independent businesses, particularly in the hospitality and leisure sectors, are a vital part of our local community economies. We are all aware of the significant pressures they have faced in recent years due to rising costs and broader economic challenges. This rates cut will provide businesses with some certainty and confidence, helping them to plan ahead, invest, and support their communities’.
