Analysis

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John Simpson Opinion Time is now for action on infrastructure

In August, Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon established an expert panel to consider how an Infrastructure Commission might support the long term planning of relevant infrastructure in Northern Ireland.

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Claire Williamson Opinion Another four weeks of shutdown may be too long for businesses on the brink

It was the news the hospitality sector had been dreading.

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Margaret Canning Opinion Four-week Covid circuit-breaker domino effect poses uncertainty and difficult questions for firms

The new restrictions announced by the First Minister do not amount to a full lockdown. However, it’s hoped that they will be sufficient to curb the frightening rise that we have been seeing in coronavirus infections.

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Jordan Doherty Opinion I've no idea what the future holds after university

Graduation should be and is an exciting time, but for many like myself the celebrations are tainted by the shadow of doubt which hangs over your future after university.

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John Simpson Opinion Brexit’s impact on online shopping

The complications of Brexit are wide ranging: more than has been foreseen. What originally seemed a straight-forward mechanism to give Northern Ireland an advantage following Brexit has gradually become a hazardous change in trading relations in this island.

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Esmond Birnie Opinion Second quarter saw a record NI downturn, but what recovery awaits in next set of results?

In terms of data from the Northern Ireland Composite Economic Index (NICEI) - which goes back to 2006 - the decline in the second quarter of 2020 was a record.

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John Mulgrew Opinion Willie Jack a pioneer of Belfast Cathedral Quarter buzz but Duke of York closure a horrible indicator of what could come for others

A once familiar heavy, thick and dense sea of bodies packed into the cobbled streets of the city’s Commercial Court and the heaving carnival-like atmosphere of the wood-clad walls the inside the Duke of York will stay silent for some time ahead.

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Conor Lambe Opinion Five things to note from Danske Bank’s latest Quarterly Sectoral Forecasts

Danske Bank has published its latest Northern Ireland Quarterly Sectoral Forecasts report, detailing how we expect the economy to perform over the rest of 2020 and into 2021.

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John Simpson Opinion Brexit compromise needed and a workable compromise must be possible

The EU-UK talks to agree (or disagree) on the implementation of Brexit have nearly reached an end.

Richard Curran Opinion Why the legacy of Sean Quinn will forever cast a shadow

Co Fermanagh businessman Sean Quinn said it was "hard to believe" that executives in his former management team at Quinn Group would change the name of the company to Mannok.

Darren Toombs Opinion Mountain of debt will have to be tackled after a long build-up

With an extension to the legislative ban on insolvency actions, an extension to the ban on forfeiture by landlords, continued limited access to the courts, and the Insolvency Office and the Official Receiver finding it difficult to perform their statutory function, a situation clearly exists that is permitting a mountain of debt to grow.

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John Simpson Opinion Balancing the energy trade-off between fossil and sustainable fuels

Northern Ireland is enjoying remarkable success from an increased proportion of local electricity coming from renewable sources. Over 40% of electricity consumption is from renewables. On a windy summer's day renewables can provide well over 60% of demand.

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Ann McGregor Opinion A renewed emphasis on trade for Northern Ireland will help us weather the challenges ahead of us

One of the key unifying themes around many of the businesses listed in the Top 100 is the fact that they recognise the benefits of exporting and trading internationally.

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John Simpson Opinion How companies were able to qualify for the Top 100 for 2020

Northern Ireland is home to a large number of successful private sector businesses. Recent accounts, reflecting business in 2019 and early 2020, show a continuing rise in the profitability of key businesses. Before the onset of the current recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, the larger profit earners had enjoyed a four-year period of improving results.

Diane Dodds Opinion Our companies have shown great resilience in recent months as they’ve worked to diversify

There is much to celebrate among the Top 100 Companies listed here today including increases in pre-tax profits and the wide range of sectors represented in businesses based right across Northern Ireland.

Danny McConnell Opinion Covid-19 has changed how we live, including how we use technology

It’s fair to say our digital habits have been evolving rapidly over the past 10 years, from the explosion of social media to the increased use of things we now take for granted, such as video calling.

Neil McShane Opinion Commercial property deals are happening despite the uncertainty

I have been tasked with providing a review of the commercial property market for 2020. This should be relatively straightforward - it has been brutal.

Kevin Holland Opinion The human cost of Covid-19 has been devastating and the economic shock has been severe

This is becoming quite a year for business, one of challenge and change. This is particularly the case for UK businesses which face changing dynamics on all sides from the impact of Covid-19 to future arrangements with the EU.

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Glyn Roberts Opinion Our retailers have responded well to the challenges of Covid yet we must brace ourselves for what’s next

What a year. Who would have thought it as we celebrated the Top 100 this time last year, we would now be in the midst of a world-wide pandemic, destroying lives and livelihoods in every part of the planet?

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Angela McGowan Opinion A key feature of the pandemic has been the varied impact it’s had on different economic sectors

Firms across Northern Ireland have over the years faced significant challenges and upheaval. You’ll have read all about them here in the Belfast Telegraph. I think it is fair to say that the impact of Covid-19 is right up there, weighing heavy on business leaders’ minds.

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Andrew Webb Opinion Is the jobs loss cliff edge being kicked six months down the road?

Cast our minds back to the Spring Budget announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on March 11 and we recall what on that date was deemed to be a generous package designed to deal with all that the coronavirus could throw at us.

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Margaret Canning Opinion Job losses inevitable in Northern Ireland, despite Chancellor's intervention

At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for the public’s help to “squash the sombrero” of rising infections in order to avoid overwhelming the NHS.

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John Simpson Opinion Time for parties to cool off over Brexit as price of a collapse in the Protocol arrangements will be high for both Northern Ireland and the Republic

What will Brexit mean for Northern Ireland? Until three weeks ago, there was an accepted answer. Now, no longer is there that certainty.

Neil McLeese Opinion Covid: It’s time to consider the long-term impact on mental health of working from home on the Northern Ireland workforce

Coming into 2020 working from home wasn’t something that a lot of people would have considered. In fact, the ONS statistics show that in the five years up to December 2019 the numbers of people mainly working from home had only slightly increased from 4.3% to 5.1% of the total UK workforce. In Northern Ireland in 2019, only 3.8% of the working population reported that they mainly worked from home.

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John Simpson Opinion Magic money tree does exist ... funding to encourage people back into employment is the preferred option

The Northern Ireland Executive has told the Chancellor of the Exchequer that it would like to see an extension of the furlough wages subsidy, created as a response to the pandemic.

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John Simpson Opinion Resetting public finances for Northern Ireland

Nichola Mallon, Minister for the Infrastructure, has tasked a special team, chaired by Kirsty McManus, executive director of the Institute of Directors, to offer an assessment of the merits of the Executive agreeing to appoint an Infrastructure Commissioner.

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Richard Ramsey, Ulster Bank chief economist Opinion Will coronavirus pandemic kickstart young people into becoming more politically engaged?

The Kickstart Scheme has been one of the UK government’s flagship recovery policies to assist young people who are the age-group most economically impacted by COVID-19.

Maeve Hunt Opinion Help required for approaching storm of economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

The full economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is not yet known and may not be known for some time.

Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State for Digital and Culture Opinion Head to Northern Ireland for the UK’s most resilient digital tech sector

For years the UK’s tech sector was easy to locate: a stone’s throw from London’s financial district in the streets of Shoreditch or down the M4 corridor.

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Margaret Canning Opinion Rishi had a recipe for success with Eat Out to Help Out but what's next?

Tthe Chancellor's Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been a huge success at generating visits to restaurants and cafes in Northern Ireland. Using a discount to entice those of us who were nervous about eating out post-lockdown was an inspired piece of marketing and social engineering.