Sussex Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Prime Minister’s roadmap for rebuilding the economy.

Sussex Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Prime Minister’s roadmap for rebuilding the economy. This timescale will have given businesses a significant psychological boost, who can now at least see a pathway to a brighter future.

(Ana Christie - CEO Sussex Chamber of Commerce) 

Ana Christie, Chief Executive, said “The plan will frame a significant return to normality over the next four months. Any emergence from lockdown must be sustainable so we do not see a stop/start process. Vaccinations are being rolled out at pace and infections are coming down. We have every reason to be optimistic.

“Businesses need clarity and assurance that plans for reopening will be adhered to. There are so many sectors that have been primarily closed for 12 months. As we emerge from lockdown, it is important to maintain business support as many jobs and businesses are hanging on by a thread. Sussex Chamber will ensure that focus is maintained in supporting all of its members, and making sure Sussex remains open for business. There is also the need for a co-ordinated international approach to world travel which is critical to UK trade, to hundreds of thousands of UK jobs, and to the prospects for a Global Britain.”

British Chambers of Commerce Director General Dr Adam Marshall said: “All the key support schemes for business should be extended – through the summer and wherever possible throughout 2021 – to ensure that as many viable firms as possible can make it to the finish line and recover. The long wait continues for some businesses of critical importance to our local economies, including events. The task forces convened to look at how to reopen these sectors must deliver results quickly.”