The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s 2013 Autumn Statement as a helpful boost for the hospitality and tourism industry.
The Autumn Statement, unveiled yesterday, includes proposals to make it cheaper for businesses to employ young people by abolishing employer National Insurance contributions from 2015 for people under 21-years-old.
BHA CEO, Ufi Ibrahim, says: “The abolition of NI contributions for those starting out is welcome news, and will surely stimulate job creation in both the hospitality sector and beyond. The commitment of the hospitality and tourism industry to creating jobs and supporting young people is evident in the BHA’s Big Hospitality Conversation, which has shown the potential of creating new jobs, apprenticeships and work placements for young people, and increasing hospitality employment to three million by 2020.”
The hospitality industry, which accounted for nearly one third of new jobs created between 2010 and 2012, has moved to be one of the top four employing sectors in the UK.
As well as incentivising businesses to employ young people, the Autumn Statement will help to control hospitality business costs by capping the increase in business rates in England at 2% in 2014-15.
The BHA also celebrated the plans to provide additional support to businesses in England – including pubs, cafes and restaurants – through a business rates discount of up to £1000 in 2014-15 and 2015-16 for retail properties with a rateable value of up to £50,000 and promised consultation on making change of use from retail to restaurants easier.
