County Kildare Chamber today welcomed the rate freeze by Kildare County Council for their 2020 budget. The potential rate increase mentioned by many over the past few weeks of 7.5% was strongly contested by the Chamber. The recent rate re- valuation in the county resulted in many businesses seeing their annual rate bill increase, in many cases by over 25%. This coupled with the increasing rise in the cost of insurance and annual increases in minimum wage and employers PRSI contributions have made it increasingly hard for businesses to keep their doors open.
Allan Shine, CEO County Kildare Chamber
Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber, the business organisation representing in excess of 400 businesses in Kildare said today, “With the ongoing issues facing business in regards to Brexit, global economic uncertainty and the increasing tax on business by Government, we welcome the decision today by the elected councillors of Kildare County Council to vote through a rate freeze for business for 2020. Kildare businesses have not had a commercial rate increase set by Kildare Council in several years and we acknowledge that whilst several councillors believed this was the year for an increase, we demonstrated forcibly and effectively that 2020 is not the year for further taxation on business”.