NEIL Hamilton, AM for Mid & West Wales, is calling on the Welsh Government to delay introducing business rate increases.

Mr Hamilton, leader of UKIP in the Assembly, is urging the government not to enforce the new rate in April and allow more time to examine the situation in more detail, in particular the impact on small businesses in mid and west Wales. 

The Welsh Government has announced that an extra £10m will be made available to help firms cope with the changes to their business rates, in addition to the existing £100m Small Business Rate Relief. 

Mr Hamilton said: “It is all very well for the Welsh Government to provide extra money for a transitional relief scheme, but it would be far better to delay introducing the rate increases, which threaten to destroy swathes of small businesses in the parts of Wales which are worst affected.

“I have received a huge number of complaints from business owners, particularly in rural areas, who feel these massive rises in business rates are unfair and ignore their ability to pay."

Read the full story in this week’s south editions of the Cambrian News