Belfast Chamber has said that official confirmation that the UK economy is now in recession should spur the NI Executive into accelerating investment in key infrastructure projects to aid recovery.
Commenting, Simon Hamilton said, “Whilst it comes as no surprise that the UK economy is now in recession, the scale of the downturn is truly shocking. It has been great to see more and more of our city’s economy reopening over recent weeks and months but Belfast Chamber is increasingly worried about the long term devastation that the coronavirus pandemic could have on the city’s economy in terms of job losses, business closures and a slow down in investment. The news today should spur the Executive into accelerating infrastructure schemes like the City Deal projects, the York Street Interchange and the Transport Hub that will not only create jobs during construction but will also help Belfast and the whole region on the road to long term recovery”.
