Views
Small victory on delivery charges - for the Inverness Courier
I WAS delighted last Thursday to be the guest speaker at the Highlands and Islands Federation of Small Businesses dinner in Inverness.
It was a gathering of 70 or so people representing small businesses from all over our area, who took the opportunity to question me closely on both local matters and the government’s economic policy.
While there was great interest in understanding the justification for and implications of our deficit reduction plan — and some shock when I described the state of the nation’s finances that we found when we came into office — the focus of the conversation was on local issues.
Whether it was the need for investment in transport and broadband, the implications of high fuel costs, of the need to retain a distinctively Highland approach to local economic development, strong views were expressed.
One issue in particular attracted a lot of support: the unfair extra charges imposed by many retailers for delivering goods in the Highlands. This is a problem for everyone, but while for most of us it is an unfairness that hits every so often, for local small businesses this is an extra cost that has an effect on the bottom line day after day, week after week, year after year.
This is a matter on which I have long campaigned locally. Last week’s decision by Asda to abandon their delivery surcharge was very welcome. It will bring real benefit to their customers and no doubt a wider benefit to a firm that is looking to become established here in the Highlands. Increased competition and an end to unfair charges in the local retail sector will certainly be welcomed locally.
Other firms have already ended unfair surcharging where they can. But for many others, the extra costs are imposed on them by the major national and international courier companies. I see no more justification for a delivery surcharge to an address in Inverness by the likes of DHL or UPS than by any other firm. I have been in touch with representatives of the major courier companies and look forward to further discussions with them. What people locally want is a level playing field and an end to unfair surcharging, which has a particular impact in the run-up to Christmas. I hope very much that others will follow the example set by Asda.
Rok jobs lost
The collapse of building firm Rok has had a severe effect here in the Highlands. The job losses are a tragedy for the families affected and everything possible must be done to support those people back into alternative employment. Local, Scottish and UK government organisations are working to provide the best support possible.
It is to be hoped that alternative ways forward can be found for the various contracts that Rok had with public sector bodies so that, where appropriate, this work can proceed and jobs be provided. I hope Highlands and Islands Enterprise will also be doing what it can to help local suppliers hit by Rok’s closure.
These events also put renewed focus on the structure of enterprise support here in the Highlands. There are repeated reports that politicians and officials in Edinburgh would like to merge Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise, to create one body to cover the whole of Scotland. I think this would be a backward step, though one consistent with the SNP government’s policy of removing both funding and influence from the Highland body over the last four years.
With access to finance a particular problem for many businesses, there is a real debate to be had about what we want these bodies to do. Tavish Scott’s idea of regional development banks within Scotland is the best proposal out there. But given the particular problems of the Highland economy, we would gain nothing from one centralised body for the whole of Scotland.
Posted on: 23/11/2010
