British Government Finance Bill a threat to the future of small business and traders in Northern Ireland.
In England, most businesses are company owned, whereas in Northern Ireland the heart of the trading community is the small businessman, the family business or the shop on the high street.
Through their union and public representatives, 6,000 small shopkeepers are taking firm action to halt the progress of the finance bill,
The nub of their complaint is a government finance bill they believe places an unfair rates burden on independent business and will put many traders out of business.
Belfast tea and coffee merchant Alistair Bell is the Northern Ireland representative of the board of management of the National Chamber of Trade (NCT).
He does not think small business owners fully understand the dangers involved if the bill goes through. Over the next two years, many of them could go to the wall.
The main difficulty is that his costs are rising at a greater rate than he can anticipate, and suddenly he finds himself with diminishing profits, leading to bankruptcy.
Alistair Bell points out the unfairness of a business person forced to close because of
Circumstanses outside his control, legistlation brought that mitigates against him.
He does not predict the end of the small family business, but it will be considerably rationalised.
There will always be the oportunity for small independent specialist store.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 6 March 1975. The reporter is Brian Black.
