Fife Chamber CEO Update November 2023

I hope this update finds you well.

I feel that November has raced by with all the events and meetings during Invest Fife’s Business Week. I managed to attend the excellent ‘Forth Green Freeport’ event at the Carnegie Conference Centre which was well attended and highlighted the amazing opportunity that is fast approaching. I also managed to attend the ‘Meet the Buyer’ event which had great feedback from all parties including ourselves.

We also managed to host our final International Trade event recently on Inward and Outward Processing which again was part of Fife’s Business Week.

On the Economy, some good news as inflation has dropped below 5% for the first time in almost two years but certain ongoing inflationary pressures remain. I had our regular meeting with the Bank of England which is always interesting and thought-provoking. The general thoughts are that we may be at the peak of the Base Rate rises but there are no guarantees. challenges will remain over the coming months with growth remaining sluggish and continual pressure still on staff retention and pay awards.

I have also been working with the Scottish Chamber on a letter to the Deputy First Minister relating to the Budget and our key recommendations as follows.

• A fair non-domestic rates system
• A fair personal taxation regime
• A fair regulatory environment
• A fair business support system
• A fair delivery of connectivity

During the Month we hosted: -

Behind The Scenes at the fully renovated Adam Smith Theatre on the 18^th October. This was a great success. If you haven’t visited before then you are missing out.

The Fife Social on the 26^th October at the Carnegie Library and Galleries. Despite the weather, we still managed to have 30+ attendees. Our next Fife Social is on the 6^th of December at the Abbot House in Dunfermline. Details on the website.

And still to come: the British Chambers of Commerce are holding a free webinar on Wednesday 29^th November 2023 for anyone interested in trading with the USA. If you are interested, please click here to register.

Membership

We are delighted that our Membership continues to be growing. Please do get in touch if you have feedback on how we are helping you and your business or how we can help you connect and make your business prosper.

We are currently in the planning stage for 2024. Please keep your eyes on the website but we have a few events arranged so far as follows:-

18^th January – Fife Social – Kelty Hearts

24^th January – Interactive Personality and Problem-Solving Business Breakfast

7^th February – Forth Green Freeport

4^th April – Fife Social – Dumbarnie Links

May 2024 - Fife Business Awards

September 2024 - Business Expo

Stephen Percy-Robb

CEO, Fife Chamber of Commerce