Is it the time to consider a regional entrepreneurs tax policy? Prime minister David Cameron has said the coaliton government wants to consult widely on public spedning cuts, but to rebalance the economy. Insider editor Michael Taylor writes on his In Focus blog: "What about a regional tax policy. Tax breaks for investing in businesses in defined enterprise zones, like Salford Quays, Liverpool, or business parks along the M65." Click here to read and comment.

VAT is likely to go up to 20 per cent in the upcoming emergency Budget, warned Mike Marsden, senior VAT manager in the Manchester office of BTG Tax, the tax division of Begbies Traynor Group. Marsden said: “Research for the British Retail Consortium estimates that a VAT rate increase to 20 per cent could cost 163,000 jobs and cut consumer spending by £3.6bn over the next four years.” It would also mean an extra £16bn towards cutting the budget deficit.

The North West experienced one of the biggest turnarounds in manufacturing of any UK region in the past three months on the back of rising demand in the overseas and UK markets, according to the second quarter Manufacturing Outlook report published by EEF and BDO. In the North West, total output turned round from -22 in the first quarter to +30 in second quarter and total orders rose from -22 in the first quarter to +46 in the second. Employment intentions turned round from -3 in the first quarter to +4 in the second, and looking forward to the next three months this figure is at +20.

UK Trade & Investment is calling on the North West’s infrastructure and construction companies to investigate the multi-billion pound opportunities in Saudi Arabia, with six cities being constructed, and more than 4,400 schools, five airports and 3,000 km of rail track to be built, in its Building Saudi Arabia report. The Kingdom is the Middle East’s largest economy, and has the largest construction market in the region. Underpinning this is a $129.7bn programme of mega projects, including the King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea.

Applied Language Solutions, the international language services provider, has hired four to join the sales team its UK head office in Oldham. Simon Patrick has been appointed European sales director. He previously worked in the petroleum, IT and telecoms industry for almost 20 years, and most recently spent six years as enterprise sales director at the software company Symantec. The three additional recruits are Kris Smith as business development director, who joins from i-to-i.com, Steve Higgins as business development manager and Paul Liversidge as account manager.

Tony Fulton has joined Santander Corporate Banking as regional director of business development. Fulton will take responsibility for supporting businesses in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from small and medium-sized companies to corporate customers. He has more than 30 years' experience in banking and joins Santander from Barclays, where he was commercial director of the Barclays’ corporate team in Manchester.

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Rob Cairns, chief executive of Furness Building Society, has been appointed chair of Barrow Regeneration, which is supported by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). He will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of a programme of activity including the £180m waterfront Barrow-in-Furness business, residential and leisure development. Cairns was appointed chair by fellow members of the Barrow Regeneration board, and takes over from interim chair Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA.