Cefin Campbell, Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales, will start a tour of Carmarthenshire town centres on Friday (27 June) to hear local companies’ expectations for the future and their views on regeneration policies.
Starting in Carmarthen town centre, one policy in particular that the Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd wants to hear companies' opinions about is Plaid Cymru's commitment to establishing a fairer system for setting business rates, where small companies in town centres pay less and larger companies on the outskirts pay more.
Mr. Campbell said:
"The aim of this series of visits is to hear the views of independent, local companies on the health of their town centres and to ask them about a range of policies that Plaid Cymru is proposing in order to give them an uplift.
"I am well aware of the challenges that have faced these companies over the past few years, especially given the scale of the cost-of-living crisis and as a result of the increase in National Insurance contributions by the UK Labour Government. We as politicians have a duty to listen to them and to act.
"Specifically, I want to discuss something I have already heard several business owners raise, which is an unfair business rates system that is in dire need of reform."
According to research by Aberystwyth town council, independent companies in their town centre pay up to ten times as much in business rates as large companies on the outskirts. They also pay up to three times what companies on the Kingsway in Swansea pay.
The dates of the visits:
o Carmarthen – Friday, 27/06
o Kidwelly – Friday, 04/07
o Llanelli – Monday, 07/07
o Llandeilo – 10/07
o Ammanford – Friday, 11/07
o Cross Hands – 14/07
o Newcastle Emlyn – Thursday, 24/07
o Llandovery – Friday, 25/07
o St Clears and Whitland – Tuesday, 29/07