Analysis

November 2021

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Esmond Birnie Opinion Is Brexit protocol really helping Northern Ireland economy? It’s much too early to say

Years ago, someone said trying to manage a modern economy is a bit like trying to drive the car when both the front and rear windows are covered over.

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John Simpson Opinion Electricity system upgrade will cost

Northern Ireland needs to begin to make the changes that will meet our clean energy targets and convert the working of the economy to rely much less on harmful gaseous emissions.

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Andrew Webb Opinion Is Northern Ireland’s economic recovery built to last?

A little over a year ago the conversation in economic circles was fixated on the ‘recovery alphabet’.

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Ann McGregor​​​​​​​ Opinion It’s time for Northern Ireland to plan for a more digital future

Against many odds, businesses in Northern Ireland have proven themselves to be resilient and reliable, even when faced with the myriad of challenges that the past two years have presented.

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Richard Ramsey Opinion The weirdest recession in history will have more uncertainty in store

The so-called Global Uncertainty Index hit a record high in 2019 before the word coronavirus had even entered our consciousness.

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Stephen Kelly Opinion Brexit and a pandemic can’t stop the march of Northern Ireland’s makers

It is often commented that we are a resilient people but if evidence were required to confirm that, then the past year proves it.

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Glyn Roberts Opinion Our town centres must be at heart of community

Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope’, wrote Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s.

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Angela McGowan Opinion NI firms going from strength to strength despite challenging times

Each year I enjoy sitting down to write my thoughts on the latest Top 100 Northern Ireland businesses because it reminds me just how many local companies are moving from strength-to-strength despite the challenging backdrop.

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John Simpson Opinion Top 100 firms highlights resilience

As part of a continuing process of monitoring the performance of local businesses, a large scale review of the annual financial results for the larger Northern Ireland registered companies has been completed.

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John Simpson Opinion Trends in the labour market in flux

In a welcome change, Northern Ireland now has many employers advertising vacancies for qualified new employees.

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John Simpson Opinion Stormont’s finances are hard to follow

Keeping in touch with the detail of (and changes in) the financing of the regional Government in Northern Ireland is not easy.

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John Simpson Opinion NI is lagging behind in green debate

Has Northern Ireland still not woken up to the real nature of the COP 26 debate?

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Sherena Deveney Opinion How Health and Social Care Levy will impact businesses

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Government has announced the introduction of the Health and Social Care Levy (HSC Levy) effective from April 2022.

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October 2021

Paul Stapleton Opinion Why vulnerable customers are the at the heart of NIE Networks’ focus

It is said that the true judge of any modern civilised society is not how healthy and happy the majority are, but how we treat those without the means to look after themselves.

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John Simpson Opinion Mixed outlook for the hotel industry

Investment in hotels in Northern Ireland has reached high levels in the last decade.

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Simon Hamilton Opinion Why time is here for rates reform

For two years, I was responsible for Northern Ireland’s rating system in my then role as Finance Minister. I remember, during one of the many Assembly debates about rates, paraphrasing Winston Churchill’s famous quote about democracy by describing our rates system as the worst form of local taxation except for all the rest.

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John Simpson Opinion Fiscal commission faces big questions

The special Northern Ireland Fiscal Commission will shortly issue its awaited first report. It’s been charged with considering how devolution to Stormont of further powers to vary the application of taxation in Northern Ireland might be used to generate better outcomes.

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September 2021

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John Simpson Opinion Electricity supply decision is urgent

Making long-term policy decisions on how Northern Ireland gets security of electricity supplies at best competitive prices poses difficult questions..

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John Simpson Opinion Translink services may be normalising

Translink has had an extremely challenging year but it has now emerged with positive news.

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Paul Stapleton Opinion Unlocking potential of electrification

While the concept of electrification isn’t new in Northern Ireland by any means, a heightened focus in recent times on green recovery and the sustainability agenda has put its potential for Northern Ireland under the spotlight.

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August 2021

Maria O’Loan Opinion Waste infrastructure critical for economy

We are at war with climate change. The recent UN report on climate change is describ ed as “code red for humanity”, presenting a compelling case for a rapid decarbonisation of our economy.

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Conor Lambe Opinion Rising costs could lead to bumpy road ahead

As the economic recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK continues, a parallel theme has emerged alongside the rise in activity — higher prices.

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John Simpson Opinion Covid’s lasting impact on workforce

Slowly the number of people working from home is reducing. For many employers there is increasing motivation to get back to normal working arrangements.

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Margaret Canning Opinion Judging on past experiences, don’t rule out Ryanair flying from NI once again

Ryanair, Northern Ireland’s unreliable boyfriend in airline form, is leaving us again after 14 years in and out of our lives.

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John Simpson Opinion Cost of air travel is set to take flight for Northern Ireland

The Covid-19 emergency caused a dramatic fall in travel by air into and out of Northern Ireland. Policy to contain the epidemic was unambiguous.

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Jason Ward Opinion Challenges of our digital economy

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, many businesses, large and small, embraced technology at an unprecedented speed.

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Oliver Dowden Opinion Making Northern Ireland ‘gigafit’ for future

Today I’m touching down in Belfast, a city I’ve been longing to visit ever since I became digital secretary — though unfortunately Covid made that impossible for many months.

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Dr Iain Percy Opinion Olympic Business can learn so much from sporting endeavours

One of the questions I get asked most often, particularly now as I lead Artemis Technologies, is what lessons there are for business and industry from the experience of high-performance sport.

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John Simpson Opinion How Covid knocked hotels’ profitability

Northern Ireland now has a well-developed range of hotels that has given a lead to a revitalised tourism industry.

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John Simpson Opinion Rationalising capital investment spend

Better public services depend on continuing capital investment. Every Government department has a ‘wish list’ of extra facilities, extra investment and new equipment that they would hope to buy.