The Ulster Unionist Party’s DRD spokesperson Ross Hussey MLA has praised his Party colleague Danny Kennedy following the announcement that the average water and sewerage charges to businesses and farms are to decrease by an average of 3 per cent.

Mr Hussey said:

“The news that Northern Ireland Water’s average water and sewerage charges to businesses for 2013/2014 are to fall by 3.6% for unmeasured customers and 1.3% for those metered will be welcomed by hard pressed businesses and farms, many of whom are struggling to cope in the current economic climate. 

The charges were agreed by the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council and I would like to pay tribute to the DRD Minister, my Ulster Unionist colleague Danny Kennedy who is the Minister responsible for NI Water, for ensuring that savings from cost efficiencies are passed directly to the customer. I know that he is acutely aware of the need to ease the burden on both businesses and households and am delighted that NI Water has responded in this very positive manner.   

I would now call on other Ministers in the Executive to take similar innovative steps to help Northern Ireland’s businesses in the current economic climate. We are the part of the United Kingdom with the highest concentration of small and medium sizes enterprises, accounting for over 80% of the total private sector employment, and therefore it is crucial that the Executive is reflective of the pressures which these small businesses face. I believe one of the first steps that could be taken would be to open up public procurement here so that local companies are given every opportunity to engage with a simplified process which in turn would then play a significant role in further supporting our local economy in these difficult financial times.”