Fife businesses urged to invest in people at Chamber AGM

In a keynote speech to Fife businesses at the local Chamber of Commerce AGM, Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, urged local firms to invest in skills and talent to make the most of the potential in the region.

Hosted at the Bay Hotel in Kinghorn on 4^th May, Dr Cameron also made the call to government both north and south to do their part to support Fife businesses by creating the right environment for job creation and investment.

Dr Cameron highlighted the strengths and diversity of the Fife economy, with world-leading institutions such as The Open, the University of St Andrews, leading manufacturing technologies, now supplemented by the new Forth Green Free Port which will add another string to the already strong Fife offering. She commented “you have a fantastic landscape to build and grow even more, calling on all business leaders to build around these fantastic opportunities for the area and its people”. If we are in the business of alleviating poverty and skilling our own people – the best way is to create jobs and invest. Businesses must be supported to achieve these ambitions.”

Looking to the future, Dr Cameron noted ongoing challenges being faced by Fife and Scottish businesses more generally in the form of ill thought and unmeasured business regulations, high inflation, tax burdens and skills shortages. Dr Cameron stressed that Fife Chamber and Scottish Chambers of Commerce would continue to press government on these issues in the hope they will not only listen but take appropriate and swift actions”. “We simply do not have the time – we are global players with world-wide competitors”.

Dr Cameron thanked outgoing Fife Chamber board members for their contributions to the chamber, including past President Brian Horisk and retiring treasurer Dawn Watson. Dr Cameron also thanked current President Colin Brown and congratulated newly appointed Chief Executive Stephen Percy-Robb.