MPA welcomes positive Budget announcements
Association pleased with measures to boost outlook for mineral products and construction sectors
THE Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed measures announced in yesterday’s Budget which, taken as a package, will help boost the outlook for the mineral products and construction sectors.
Particularly welcome, says the MPA, is the decision to freeze the indexation of the Aggregates Levy until April 2014, and the decision to introduce the Climate Change Levy mineralogical and metallurgical exemption for energy-intensive industries such as cement and lime.
Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA, said: ‘The MPA has lobbied hard on both of these issues together with the need for savings in current account spending to be invested in capital projects. The additional investment in roads announced in the Autumn Statement is crucial given the need to repair and maintain our worsening road network.’
He continued: ‘Government is clearly listening and understands that investing in infrastructure and construction is key to securing growth. The issue remains of ensuring that cash flows into action on the ground, to help improve confidence and induce private sector investment, which is needed to accelerate growth in demand.’
The MPA says it will continue to work with government to help achieve its aims of reducing the deficit while securing growth.
