PROMINENT members of tile Northern Ireland business community have published a report which says Belfast is in more need than ever of new jobs and increased investment.
The business strategy group of the Making Belfast Work initiative said the cessation of the conflict in Northern Ireland had made the city an attractive location for would be investors. It also identifies issues which the group believes must be addressed in order to bring in more investment.
The chairman of the group, Mr Colin Shillington, said the" report Investing for Tomorrow, which was prepared over the past 12 months, reflected the insight of 15 of Northern Ireland's senior business representatives.
The report's recommendations include
. Establishing a one stop shop approach to business support services
. improving transport infrastructure
. Providing customised financial and managerial support for growth businesses
. Introducing training initiatives, linking growth and inward investment businesses with unemployed people
. Promoting a co ordinated approach in selling Belfast to Europe and the US as a good place to live and work.
The strategy group said it was critical that Belfast should develop a "dynamic outward looking enterprise culture" and that this could only be achieved through a partnership between public, private, and community sectors.
