Northern Ireland business leaders positive about ‘historic deal’ to bring stability and certainty to sector

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said: “On an initial analysis, this new agreement represents welcome progress towards providing the stability and certainty that our retail, wholesale and supplier members are seeking.

"The technical detail of this agreement will need to be studied further and, following consultation with our membership, we will be able to comment more definitively.

“In the interim, what is blatantly evident, is that the agreement needs to work, not just for all the businesses in our local supply chain, but also for local consumers.

"Ongoing engagement between the business community and the EU and UK Government will be critical as the implementation process of this deal begins.

"It is imperative that the NI Executive and Assembly is now restored to deal with the huge economic challenges that lie ahead.”

Representing the Federation of Small Businesses in NI, Alan Lowry said: “Business has been to the fore in understanding the operation of the Protocol and highlighted many of the problems its implementation has been causing. Accordingly, we commend the great efforts made by the EU and the UK Government to find joint solutions to these challenges.”

He added: “We are looking forward to seeing the text of the final agreement and exploring with our members how well it addresses the issues they have raised since the Protocol was first introduced.

“Reaching an agreement is an important step in securing the stability and certainty that businesses have been seeking, but we also really need some form of ‘service level agreement’ that ensures any difficulties that arise in the future are dealt with as a matter of priority, unrelated to any other distractions that might be around at that time.”

CBI NI director Angela McGowan congratulated the UK Government and European Union for “resolving the deadlock over the Northern Ireland Protocol and delivering an historic deal”.

She said: “With social, political and economic life in Northern Ireland feeling like it has been on hold for the past couple of years, this breakthrough will allow businesses and politicians to turn their attention to economic growth and delivering greater prosperity for everyone across NI.

“Business stands ready to work with all stakeholders moving forward. Work to understand and successfully implement new arrangements should start immediately. Working together we can make this deal work and help NI to thrive.”

The Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group which is made up of 14 industry bodies including Hospitality Ulster, NI Food and Drink Association, Manufacturing NI and Ulster Farmers Union, said: “From the outset our priority has been to secure an agreed, durable outcome that protects our consumers and enables our businesses to thrive. Reaching an agreement is an important step in securing the stability and certainty businesses have been seeking.

"While we do not doubt that many issues will have been resolved, others may remain and/or arise in future, so we would encourage the UK and EU to continue with a constructive, solutions-focussed approach as businesses adjust to the new arrangements.

“It is our shared aspiration that this agreement will deliver a unique platform that unlocks economic growth and investment, but we will now need time and space to work through the technical detail.”