Competition Authority Miss The Point

The Competition Authority has warned IBEC and in particular its food and drink sub group for saying that there was likely to be a rise in price due to increased costs faced by business. The Competition body appears to be saying that IBEC is attempting to lead prices.

The purpose of the IBEC statement and statements which have been made by a number of other groups such as Chambers and ISME, is that increased costs faced by business, many of which have been levied by government agencies, make our prices higher and our economy uncompetitive. Food price inflation has for a number of years been below the real inflation rate.

If the Competition Authority wants to see a competitive market it would do well to look at the Governments role.

Business Calls for Carbon Tax

Energy being the flavour of the month, with the EPA about to publish a document showing our first emissions rise in four years, Chambers Ireland have published a policy document calling for a shadow Carbon Tax.

The Chambers, the largest business organisation in Ireland, argued that a Carbon Tax was needed to change consumption patterns. However it was argued that business did not trust government to implement the tax and as such wished to see the development of a model which would be revenue neutral and would not destroy the competitiveness of Irish business.

We await the reactions of the Government and the Greens in relation to the EPA report and the Chambers call.