BUSINESS leaders are calling on people to sign an online petition asking the Government to rethink the biggest annual jump in business rates for more than 20 years.
St Edmundsbury Business Rates Forum - which is made up of representatives from businesses and organisations such as the town’s chamber of commerce - has set up a Number Ten e-petition.
If more than 100,000 signatures are collected the issue has to be taken to the House of Commons.
The 5.6% increase in business rates is explained by the Government’s use of last September’s retail price inflation to set the bills.
While it has been common practice since 1990 to link the Uniform Business Rate to the previous September’s inflation figure, legislation permits the adoption of a lesser figure.
The petition can be found at the following link: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31706
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