Every year, a couple of weeks before Christmas, the UK statistics body - the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - publishes the latest figures on the size of the whole economy as well as the size of the regional economies.
The epic battle for Irish Distillers, then the monopoly producer of Irish whiskey, finally drew to a close 30 years ago this month with Pernod Ricard defeating GrandMet (now part of Diageo).
As a senior director in Allstate NI, one of the biggest companies in Northern Ireland, I get some strange looks when I meet people and tell them my burning ambition is to find a unicorn and that I think Northern Ireland is the best place in the world to do it.
In Paris in 2015, more than 100 countries, including all the main western European nations, signed up to a commitment to take action to reduce global warming, mainly by reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
The economic analysis of the options currently under consideration, published yesterday, is a competent, professional report that deserves to be taken seriously.
The American sports commentator Yogi Berra once said prediction is difficult because it is about the future. Bearing that in mind, and the perceived failures of economic forecasters, here are considerations relating to three possible scenarios:
The ability to keep sufficient, sustainable and competitive electricity supplies for businesses and households in Northern Ireland recently came under threat from the unexpected clash between the Regulator and electricity generator AES, owner of Kilroot and Ballylumford power stations.
There is no doubt that the draft Withdrawal Agreement is a welcome step forward for the majority of businesses in NI and it is definitely much better than a no-deal scenario. Our trading firms will be paying close attention to what happens next.
The CBI, along with all other business representatives across NI and civic society, have over the last week voiced our broad support for the Prime Minister's EU Withdrawal Agreement, which, if signed off by the UK, allows us to move on to the real negotiations around future trade. There have been 20 months of negotiations since Article 50 was triggered. What we have on the table now is a compromise withdrawal deal that while not perfect, is a step forward.
It was a long time coming, but after months of talks, UK and EU negotiators finally reached a draft Brexit withdrawal agreement on November 14. And on Sunday, the European Council endorsed both the agreement and a political declaration setting out the high level framework for the future relationship between the UK and the EU.
One way to consider the impact of yesterday's announcement is to start with a focus on the individual and then move out to the wider Northern Ireland economy and then the world aerospace sector.
The loss of another 490 jobs at Bombardier Belfast comes as an unwelcome decision as part of an overall restructuring programme in different parts of the Bombardier international organisation.
The supply of construction materials is essential to so many sectors within our Northern Ireland economy, particularly housebuilding, farming, transport - and of course new infrastructure for indigenous business and inward investors.
The policy experts, thinking ahead for the area within the boundaries of Belfast city, have published early draft plans about how the city might look by 2035. These proposals will have even longer-term repercussions.
The positive opinions of senior representatives of the business community on the prospects for a Brexit deal are an important corrective to the easy but misleading voices of the politicians.
Prime Minister Theresa May has worked hard to get the Brexit negotiations to the point where there is enough agreement to launch a proposed deal in Parliament. The EU negotiators have given some ground to keep alive the hope that, eventually, a new relationship for the UK with the EU (of 27 states) can be agreed.
It's not unusual to hear people who work in the digital and technology world refer to the tech "community" when speaking about the industry they work in.
The UK Budget was deceptive. To individual taxpayers, the increase in personal allowances and the absence of major new taxes on drink and petrol, combined to create a sense of relief. The other parts of the Budget contained more painful messages.
The economic narrative across the UK and Northern Ireland continues to be dominated by ongoing Brexit uncertainty as to what the future trading relationship with the EU may look like.
Over the last number of weeks there has been increasing discussion over what the United Kingdom's immigration policy will be once it leaves the European Union.
International Day of the Girl, celebrated earlier this month, highlighted that a staggering 98 million adolescent girls around the world are not in the education system. There was a rally of support globally from celebrities who used their voice to highlight this issue.
Tent cities. Long lines for food. People in rags. The mentally ill cast adrift on streets. No, this is isn't the plot for a Cormac McCarthy novel: it's what you see in San Francisco. Or that's what it was like last month. And every time I've been there in the last five years.
Next week taxpayers will be focused on Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he makes his annual statement of taxation, spending and borrowing in 2019-20.
This week I am leading a delegation of organisations from Northern Ireland, including councils, businesses, universities and colleges, to the city of Dalian in the Chinese Province of Liaoning for the fourth UK-China Regional Leaders Summit.
Over the last year, I have written about and commented extensively on the growth that has been taking place in the hotel sector. In Belfast it was impossible to miss the expansion, given the number of cranes dominating the skyline.
The Northern Ireland economy is currently experiencing a period of modest economic growth, restrained by a squeeze on consumers and Brexit-related uncertainty negatively affecting business investment. However, while we have seen relatively low growth rates in the last couple of years, it is important to note that the local economy is in a better position now than it was at the start of this decade.
The Supreme Court has given its long-awaited decision in the so-called “gay cake” case, ruling unanimously that Ashers Bakery did not discriminate against gay rights activist Gareth Lee, who had been successful in the County Court and then at the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
There are no devolved, locally appointed ministers. There is even a growing suspicion that the Secretary of State is (too) passive on the need for policy initiatives. The search is on to find an authorised decision-making procedure that will make some critical decisions so long as they fall short of what might be termed 'direct rule'.
A Co Down school is ready to stand strong over a threat to its future.
Yesterday the Irish Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced what is likely to be the final budget under the confidence-and-supply agreement.
One aspect of divorce that surprises many clients when they come to discuss a marriage breakdown is how bad behaviour on the part of their spouse, perhaps in the form of an adulterous relationship or some other form of unreasonable behaviour, is looked at in division of the matrimonial assets.
Now, more than ever before, business leaders are operating in an environment of intense and sustained change. Change seems to be happening in all spheres of our lives and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Catalyst Inc, the successor to the Science Park, will announce the winners of the competition to find new products with the greatest potential to showcase Northern Ireland's expanding knowledge economy. At an awards ceremony on Thursday, 12 finalists will present their ideas to an inquisitive audience.
Tom Penman, Tax Partner at Belfast-based independent accountancy and advisory firm, Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, examines the upcoming HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) project and asks if your business is ready.
Making Tax Digital (or “MTD”) is the biggest change in tax administration in recent years and will affect every business in the UK. Under MTD businesses will be required to maintain digital accounting records and to use these to submit returns to HMRC. The initial focus will be on VAT but this is expected to expand to other taxes in the future.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are advancing at a tremendous pace, redefining the role of professionals in the workplace. So what impact will this have for accountants and finance professionals in the future?
The tension in the Brexit negotiations because of disagreements about 'what to do about the border' has made Northern Ireland a major focus for international attention. The Irish border question came from a simple proposition which has now mushroomed into a confused argument.
The annual Northern Ireland Local Government Association conference is upon us. This year, attendees will gather under the banner of discussing the key roles councils can play in shaping the places where we live, driving the economy and thinking about 'where next?' I have written previously that, with more powers to influence economic development, our councils have displayed an encouraging ambition and willingness to engage on local economic development. This willingness to engage is welcome, especially as the lack of an Executive leaves a vacuum in policy and delivery that local government is increasingly being looked at to fill.
Whilst Northern Ireland was basking in some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the region, this summer also saw activity heat up in the commercial property market.
There was much murmuring in the tech world last week when it was announced that the founders of photo-sharing app Instagram are to leave the business, amid reports of growing tensions between them and parent company Facebook.
To be an entrepreneur is to embrace risk, it is at the very heart of what it means to build a business and to step into the unknown. But for every triumphant firm that enters the market, scales up, puts a smile on the face of its investors and becomes the envy of others, there are those that simply don't make it.
Budget season is nearly upon us. In Ireland the budget is two weeks away (October 9) and the UK budget will arrive sometime in November.
Brexit is a divisive issue, but one thing most agree with is that the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland would be harmful to business and could create havoc for many people living in border regions.
The electricity market across the island of Ireland will change its commercial systems on October 1, 2018. The all-island Single Electricity Market that - with minor stresses - has served electricity users well will start to trade as an I-SEM: an Integrated Single Electricity Market.
The demise of a number of well-known high street retail outlets has been a feature of the business news and it is expected to continue. Closures of BHS stores have left many town centre shop fronts looking unhappy. In Belfast, once-thriving stores such as Robinson & Cleaver and C&A are now just a memory.
In August, 150 young leaders from around the world visited Belfast for the Shape Europe 2018 Conference, which I attended. The event was hosted by the Belfast Hub of the Global Shapers Community.
While Paschal Donohoe might want some political cover on banker salaries, he has plenty of cover when it comes to changing our corporation tax system. The Republic's Finance Minister has outlined a road map for future changes to the corporate tax system in response to a changing world and a clamour to end aggressive tax avoidance.
The Economist magazine recently released a report claiming that property prices in Dublin were overvalued by as much as 25%. This finding has caused some amount of unease south of the border.
There are many questions for which agreed answers are needed when it comes to preparing for Brexit in Northern Ireland, but sadly, with just over seven months to go, there are few firm answers.
With Northern Ireland experiencing one of its hottest summers for some considerable time, the warm temperatures can leave employees wishing they were heading to the beach, rather than the office. This prolonged spell of unusually good weather can throw up a number of employment law related headaches for employers.
