Clare Guinness, CEO at Belfast Chamber, said:
“Belfast Chamber welcomes the appointment of Caoimhe Archibald as Economy Minister, John O’Dowd as Finance Minister, and Liz Kimmins as Infrastructure Minister as part of the recent Executive reshuffle.
“Business confidence has been adversely impacted by the most recent Budget and, with the changes announced set to take effect soon, we look forward to engaging with the new Economy Minister to ensure the ramifications of these measures are understood. We will also be highlighting the value that our members contribute to the economy through employment and investment.
“Having worked closely with John O’Dowd during his time as Infrastructure Minister, we hope he builds on the excellent achievements of Minister Archibald and focuses on securing additional multi-year funding, aligning budgets to the programme for government. Securing finance beyond the block grant must be a priority to address underfunding and stimulate investment into our city and region.
“Similarly, we wish Liz Kimmins well as she takes on the Infrastructure portfolio. The lack of investment in critical infrastructure is an impediment to growth across Northern Ireland, particularly in utilities. I hope that, by working with other departments, additional resources can be secured to ensure much-needed homes can be built and key transport investments, such as the expansion of the Glider bus service, can be expedited to help ease city congestion.
“Belfast Chamber is ready and willing to engage constructively to ensure that the voice of business is heard.”