Despite the collapse of the political process, Northern Ireland has become a much better place in which to live and do business, the chairman of Britain's Institute of Directors (IoD) said tonight.
Dr Michael Maguire told the IoD's annual dinner in Belfast that there was a great deal to celebrate. While there was an over-reliance on public sector spending, Northern Ireland had the assets and the quality of its people that were needed to make positive change, he said.
"A truly robust economy needs to be built on a genuinely thriving private sector. We must not just dream of that, we must actively plan to create it.
"Transferring the balance of the economy from the public to the private sector is an enormous task, but I believe the quality of leadership exists in Northern Ireland to make it possible," Dr Maguire said.
Those attending the dinner were examples of where the entrepreneurial determination of one person had led to new employment opportunities and the creation of wealth, he continued.
"Despite the recent deep disappointments of the political process, Northern Ireland is a far better place in which to live and in which to do business than it used to be," he said.
He cited the "steady stream" of well educated and employable young people available to companies as well as a more global outlook reflected in the growth of new air routes.
PA