Conservative critical of tax on business

An Assembly candidate has criticised Powys County Council for imposing a 5% increase on some trade waste collections and adding more bureaucracy for businesses in a confidential meeting held in Council offices on Tuesday.

Powys County Council’s board resolved that all business rateable properties and organisations should have a trade waste agreement in place and that trade waste collection charges for bins should be increased by 5% from 1st April. They also resolved that the Council’s own premises could be exempt from recycling charges.

Russell George, The Conservative Welsh Assembly Candidate in Montgomeryshire has criticised the decision. “This is a tax on business. We need to be taking measures to empower local communities to deliver a more prosperous local economy, not adding more bureaucracy and charges”

“I understand that all the Liberal democrat board members supported the proposals which means the extra changes and bureaucracy to local businesses will come into affect from April. This is the wrong increase at the wrong time for the wrong group of people”

“I agree that business should comply with environmental legislation, but it seems that the businesses that are complying and are acting with responsibility are the ones being penalized”

Russell George who is also a Powys County Councillor added “The meeting was also held in a confidential session and the general public and press were not allowed to attend. I could see no reason why the meeting could not be open and transparent. There was just no need to make this a confidential meeting”