Belt tightening for SIC development
PROMOTING Shetland to the wider world will play a significantly larger role in the work of the council’s economic development unit after a major belt tightening and re-adjustment exercise was approved by councillors yesterday (Thursday).
The department has just slashed its annual budget by almost 25 per cent to £7.4 million, but increased the monies allocated for marketing and promoting the isles by 31 per cent to £478,250, and to events by 16 per cent to £280,970.
Councillors were in agreement that promotion was “one of the most important mechanisms for putting Shetland on the map”.
The meeting of the development committee agreed to reduce the budget for support to the fisheries and aquaculture industries by 16 per cent to £3.6 million; for tourism and heritage by 59 per cent to around £580,000; agriculture by 44 per cent to £485,000; and help for general industry by 25 per cent to £797,000.
The telecommunication and creative industries budget was slashed by 40 per cent; energy by 28 per cent; people and community by 12 per cent; and business guidance and engagement, which includes consultant fees by 67 per cent.
Councillors heard that 32 per cent of the overall budget for economic development was committed towards core funding for the NAFC marine Centre, Shetland Seafood Quality Control, Shetland Amenity Trust, COPE and a number of other organisations.
Committee vice chairman Alastair Cooper said that in times of tightening local government budgets, a non statutory element such as economic development would always be under additional pressure.
“We have to be more aggressive to push the private sector to be creative and employ people,” he said, adding that should private enterprise come up with great ideas he would not rule out finding extra funding from the council’s reserves.
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Councillor Jonathan Wills said: “The public now accepts that the SIC has to make savings. The sky will not fall in. Our economic development is still the envy of most local authorities.”
Lerwick north councillor Allan Wishart added: “We will be left behind if we do not do proper promoting. As councillor Wills said, times are tough, but the sky will not fall in.”
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