EUROPE

UKs pre-budget report disappointment

17 years ago

Expressing frustration at the UK governments refusal to cut duty on fuel as well as its stand on raising National Insurance Contributions, Roger Williams, CEO of the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) has said it was perhaps over-optimistic to expect any favours.

He adds that, throughout its 12 years in office the administration “has consistently increased the burdens of taxation and bureaucracy on a sector which has always worked on a small profit margin.”

UKWA’s chairman, Derrick Potter, founder and chief executive of The Potter Group, commented: “The Government’s failure to address the fuel duty issue means that foreign haulage firms – many of whom arrive in Britain with their vehicles filled with enough cheap fuel for a week’s work in the UK – will continue to take business away from their British counterparts.”

Mr Williams goes on to say, “Any measure that makes employing people more expensive is clearly counterproductive to the needs of our members as the logistics industry struggles to move out of recession.” He adds, “The move to increase NI contributions will hardly encourage job creation in the months ahead.”

UKWA represents some 700 companies in the third party logistics (3PL) services sector.