Export & Freight Nov-Dec 24

With just a couple of weeks left before Christmas everyone will have starting thinking what they want, and maybe more importantly what others might want in their stocking.

A few weeks ago the Labour government, through new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, delivered its first budget since coming to power and she pledged the Government was going to ‘invest, invest, invest’. But was this an early Christmas present for Northern Ireland and our logistics sector, or nothing more than a lump of coal?

One positive the industry can take from the budget was the continuation of the freeze in fuel duty, which should help businesses in this sector keep costs under some sort of control.
But any relief from this measure may be tempered by the increase in employers National Insurance, and the lowering of the threshold where NI is payable.

This has the potential to substantially increase running costs for the businesses in this sector, many of who will have already significant wage bills. And it doesn’t exactly come at a good time when many businesses will be taking on, or planning to take on additional staff as the busy season approaches.

Any extra costs for businesses will impact on their ability to invest and grow, and what the logistics industry needs is help from government, not added costs.

Logistics UK has long been campaigning for the sector to be recognized as one of vital importance to the economy, and they continually lobby government to support and help this sector in any way it can.

The significance of the logistics industry often seems to be overlooked by those in power, but at a time when the cost of everything is going up, and as we approach the most expensive time of the year, this industry needs organisations such as Logistics UK and the RHA to lobby the government to provide the support and help this vital industry needs to survive and thrive.

Austin Lynch Editor
Email: [email protected]