Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting NI Chamber’s annual President’s Banquet. At the event, we were joined by business leaders, political representatives and of course, legendary guest speaker, Sir Mo Farah CBE. As well as being a wonderful chance to catch-up with colleagues and partners in business face-to-face, it was also an important […]

Paul Murnaghan, President, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled his autumn budget and while it contains some measures which will help businesses, with inflation expected to rise above 4%, trading conditions in the medium term are going to remain very challenging. Significant barriers to business growth exist right […]

Paul Murnaghan, President, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry As preparations for COP26 ramp up, businesses are more focused than ever on the role they have to play in tackling climate change and at NI Chamber, right now we’re immersed in helping companies across Northern Ireland to play their part and identify the opportunities […]

Paul Murnaghan, President, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry Over the past year, NI Chamber has consulted heavily with businesses to establish what skills gaps exist in their organisations and gather recommendations to address what has been a significant barrier to business growth. Hundreds of firms participated in our Future of Skills Forum and […]

At the end of June I was honoured to be elected as President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a role which carries a great deal of responsibility at a critical time for business and the economy. And while trading conditions undoubtedly remain challenging, after only a few weeks in the role, I […]

As businesses across all sectors open fully, Northern Ireland’s economy is showing signs of recovery and there are real grounds for optimism as it returns to growth. NI Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey and numerous other indicators, including Ulster University Economic Policy Centre’s Summer Outlook show that confidence around turnover and profitability is improving, with many […]

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial impact of Brexit and the recent unrest and its associated reputational damage to the Northern Ireland economy and wider society, now is a good time to reiterate NI Chamber’s previous calls for political leaders to commit to working together to avoid causing any further unnecessary disruption and to ensure […]

Infrastructure has a central role to play in economic growth, so it follows that investing in it should be a strategic priority. However, for too long, Northern Ireland has suffered from significant levels of underinvestment in even the basics like water, transport and sewerage. Our recovery from the pandemic relies heavily on addressing the scale […]

As many readers will know, earlier this year, the Executive launched the public consultation on its Programme for Government (PfG) draft Outcomes Framework. The draft Framework contains nine strategic outcomes which are intended to set a clear direction of travel for the NI Executive and provide a vision for the future of all citizens. The […]