Economic Focus On North West

Concerns about the present economic downturn were on the agenda when the NI Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster recently met with Coleraine Borough Council and local companies from the area.

The Minister reinforced the commitment from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Invest NI to companies in Coleraine and across Northern Ireland, stressing that manufacturing continues to account for the majority of the work undertaken by Invest NI.

"There is no doubt that businesses right across Northern Ireland are facing significant challenges and I know that the Coleraine area itself has suffered major redundancy announcements in the past 18 months, including the most recent news from Spanboard.

"These are very worrying times for everyone, however Invest NI and our local Government will continue to provide all the assistance we can to help our companies navigate their way through this recession," she said.

"Invest NI has developed a programme of actions and initiatives to help businesses deal with the current challenges.

"Its 'Think Big' Trade Programme, developed in conjunction with Coleraine Borough Council, is designed to encourage local businesses to look to export markets for growth opportunities," she continued.

"Invest NI and my department will continue to work with businesses, including those in manufacturing and tradeable services in Coleraine and throughout Northern Ireland, to improve their export potential and prospect of increasing productivity."

Also commenting, David Barbour, Mayor of Coleraine met with the Minister and said: "During my term of office, one of my key priorities and area of interest has been the economic development of this area and the businesses which we serve.

"We have faced unprecedented difficult times and we took the opportunity today to discuss the difficulties faced by our large businesses and the help they require from government.

"There have also been a number of exciting strategic developments announced for Coleraine in the past year and Council informed the Minister on the future strategic business and tourism development priorities for the area," he said.

(BMcC/JM)