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05 EURO) Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The pride of Northern Ireland

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Since 1737

Evolving from humble roots

SEE PAGES 16&17

Round-up of all the latest action

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tina and the boys get set to celebrate

UTVs Tina Campbell joins members of 3rd Newtownabbey Boys Brigade Simon McCartney, Joshua Doig, Ashley Sofley and Neil Da Conceicao to promote two Celebrate Christmas concerts. The events are set to take place on Thursday, December 1 and Thursday, December 8 at May Street Church, Belfast, in aid of the Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice and Urban Soul Cafe at the church
PIcture: Brian Little/Presseye.com

Business
Breaking up is hard to do
PAGE 27
a.mcgill@newsletter.co.uk

News Letter, Tuesday, November

15, 2011

23

Business home and away

PAGES28 & 37

This is the year of Secret Santa

PAGE 41

BY ADRIENNE McGIll Business Editor

Polish ambassador delighted with links

Slowing demand stalls growth

r.sherriff@newsletter.co.uk

BY RICHARD SHERRIFF Business Correspondent

THE Polish Ambassador to the UK the strength of the business has praised relationship between Northern Ireland and Poland link which was recently underpinned - a by the establishment of the Ireland-Poland Chamber of Commerce. Ambassador Barbara Tuge-Erecinska, made the comment yesterday during a visit to Belfast where she met Northern Irelands business members of political leaders, senior PSNI community, group Polish nationals who officers and a are part of the 30,000 strong Polish community living and working here. Mrs Tuge-Erecinska was accompanied throughout her visit by Jerome Mullen, Honorary Consul of Poland in Northern Ireland and Tomasz Trafas, Consul General of Poland in Edinburgh. Speaking to the News Letter, the Ambassador said: I am very pleased to see the strength of the relationship between Poland and Northern Ireland. I met with a group of some people living in Northern Ireland 40 Polish and was very pleased to hear how many of them had Visiting Belfast yesterday, started their own small busuinesses the Polish Ambassador to the UK ranging the Consul General from consultancies- very often of Poland in Edinburgh Tomasz Trafas Barbara Tuge-Erecinska with to promote Northern and Honorary Consul of Poland in trade and investment relations Ireland Jerome Mullen - to dental practices. Minister Lucas Papademos, I think there is a very good presented per cent last week, connection his policy platform ahead the rate at which Greece, between Polish people who of a midweek Ireland have arrived in confidence vote in parliament and Portugal were obliged Northern Ireland over the past to seek as few bailouts from the EU. with securing the countrys he grappled our friends in Northern Ireland years and international who have Mrs Tuge-Erecinska said the loan lifeline. become involved in trade situation in and investment the eurozone was a concern Papademos government must opportunities with Poland. for Poland even pass the though 2012 austerity budget, approve the country does not use the The Ambassador was engaged a new single in a hectic billion international bailout cobbled euro130 currency. round of meetings during together her visit which last month, Poland is not part of the eurozone and see through lagging reforms included discussions at Stormont and it with the that will include thousands cannot be very actively inviolved First Minister Peter Robinson, of public sector in finding a layoffs. Minister Martin McGuinness, Deputy First solution for the zone - but we think Most crucially, it must secure Headquarters with the Chief and at Police important to hold the Presidency it is very the next Constable Matt in order to euro8 billion installment of Baggott. seize the interests and the challenges the without which the country will rescue loans whole for the On the issue of Polands Presidency of the European union. go bankrupt of the before Christmas. European Union (EU), a position It is for countries and nations which the Also yesterday in Italy, Mario to decide country has held for the past which governmments and Monti started 6 months and work to form a new government politicians will will relinquish next month, deliver the best results and the Ambassador country out of its acute debt to lead the if both Italy agreed that it had been crisis which and Greece decided to change a particularly prompted the resignation of their leaders challenging period given the Prime Minister because they believed that economic and Silvio Berlusconi. under the new political instability in Italy and leadership they will be more Greece. Mr Berlusconi was forced to Just yesterday, Greeces capable of new Prime the yield on Italian bonds rose resign when making the necessary changes, then we are to more than 7 happy about this.

NORTHERN Irelands economy will only 0.6 per cent in 2011, according grow by to a report today from business advisors, PwC. The quarterly Northern Ireland Economic Outlook (NIEO) published this morning says the UKs weak recovery, the eurozone crisis and continued difficulties in the Republic of Ireland are all combining to drive down the economy. The only glimmer on the comes from manufacturing horizon, it adds, exports, but even there, it says growth remains elusive and marginal, making the completion of awaited Programme for Government the longecutive Economic Strategy essential. and ExThe report cuts PwCs economic growth forecast for Northern Ireland, yet 0.8 per cent in July and at 6.9 again, down from per employment is now the second cent, local unhighest amongst the 12 UK regions, just behind of England at 7.3 per cent. UK the North East unemployment currently averages five per cent. PwCs chief economist Esmond Birnie said external factors, combined with slowing public spending were adding to the pressures on the private sector. Northern Irelands main, kets in GB, RoI, the EU and traditional marUSA are as lack of industrial and consumerall stalled demand hampers export opportunities, said Dr Birnie. Global growth has shifted oped nations to Brazil, Russia, from the develIndia and China [the so-called BRIC states] and, while demand and output in these regions is account for around three per robust, they only cent of local exports. While global and domestic mains, we cannot foresee muchuncertainty rereal growth in 2012 with growth next year unlikely rise above the 2011 forecast of 0.6 per cent. Without any likelihood of action on Corporation Tax in the near future, Dr Birnie said it was down the Executive to take firm While a practical and realisticsteps. sential, there will be no single strategy is essilver bullet to transform the fortunes of NI. Rather than a reliance on the Assembly getting the power to reduce Corporation Tax, energies should be focused on developing management capacity and stimulating skills, innovation across the economy in order to grow exports and significantly increase productivity. Driving up productivity is the and prosperity, but we should key to growth not mate the difficulty of the challenge. underesti-

INSIDE
Man killed in farm accident
A MAN who died in a suspected farm accident in Maghera was last night named as Glenny Hyndman. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said they were informed yesterday of an accident at a farm in the area. Initial reports are that the man drowned in a slurry pit, a spokesman said. We have dispatched inspectors to the scene. The great-grandfather is survived by his grieving wife Maisie and children Sam, Ivor, Yvonne and Brenda. Turn to page 12

Fury at plan to axe prison service titles

BY PHILIP BradfIeLd
p.bradfield@newsletter.co.uk

Staying warm top OAP worry

THREE-qUARTERS of Northern Ireland pensioners are worried about keeping warm this winter, a report has revealed. Their top concern is staying warm and rising energy costs, followed by money, fear of crime, food prices and loneliness/boredom. The charity Age Sector Platform, which created the report, has given MLAs 24 recommendations following its findings. See pages 10 & 11

ANGRY unionists claimed last night that the Crown and Royal titles are to be stripped from the Northern Ireland Prison Service as an unacceptable sop to IRA/ Sinn Fein. The claims were made after a

A Chrismas Gift t

heated debate in the assembly last night in which Justice Minister David Ford faced stringent questioning about plans for the future of the prison service. Speaking afterwards, TUV leader Jim Allister said: The revelation in the assembly on foot of my probing that the justice minister anticipates dropping the

20

Crown from the symbol of the prison service and ceasing to call prisons Her Majestys Prisons is an utterly unacceptable sop to IRA/Sinn Fein, which I am happy to have exposed. It is clear that as part of an agreed stratagem these decisions will be falsely passed off as operational matters for

the prison service. They are not operational matters, but are strategic decisions which go to the very heart of the ethos and status of the prison service. Just as with the RUC in the past, it is now clear that a plan is afoot to change both name and badge of the prison service. Turn to page 12

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