East Mids has reasons to be cheerful
There are signs that 2012 could be a good year for East Midlands businesses, despite the doom and gloom that surrounds the UK economy. That's the view of Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, who spoke exclusively to Insider.
Griffiths said that "Northamptonshire businesses have been recruiting again and business confidence has increased dramatically" throughout 2011. The region has "bucked the trend" with lower-than-average unemployment figures, he said.
He also pointed out that exports – much vaunted as a key factor in the UK's economic recovery –grew in 2011.
"Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs show that, despite a decline in exports from the East Midlands in the second quarter of 2011, the region is on track to top £16bn by the end of December - the highest level of exports for at least five years," said Griffiths.
He also said that "2011 has been a fine example of the government listening to our members" and reducing the red tape burden on businesses and providing targeted financial support. The Waterside Enterprise Zone, which aims to create 17,000 jobs by 2021, and the Broadband Delivery UK funding were examples of this highlighted by Griffiths.
Griffiths said: "The chamber is now working on its campaign for 2012 – Business is Good for Britain. This campaign aims to highlight how important a strong and prosperous business community is to Britain's future success.
"We all know that business has positive impacts on individuals, communities and the UK's prospects for economic recovery. Through our campaign, we will be working to demonstrate the many ways that business is good for our county, country and society."
