This article is from page 83 of the 2008-09-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 83 JPG
THE transport sector is preparing itself for what could be a crippling blow should October’s budget bring an increased tax burden for the in- dustry. According to the Irish Haul- age Association, companies are currently operating on the brink of collapse and any further loss of com- petitiveness would spell disaster.
“T cant see how this budget can do anything at all to help the haul- age sector. They didn’t do anything when they had a surplus so I cant see how they are going to do anything now that they haven’t,” said Eugene Drennan of Spa Transport Ltd in En- nis and the Irish Road Haulage As- sociation.
“We would seriously hope that our cost are not risen either by excise on fuel or on VAT. We are caught very badly by the recession that is effect-
ing the world and also the recession that has crippled the building sector here in this country.”
A number of haulage companies in the region have already stopped trading, while others are operating on much decreased fleets.
“If our competitiveness is decreased anymore the trucks on the road will take a serious hit. This is not a profit- able business at the moment – there are people surviving right on the margins, there are people going out of business,’ continued Drennan.
‘Every business is struggling, peo- ple are just trying to cope as best they can, and if we get another set back from the government it will be a disaster. People are very worried that the government is going to take their feet out from under them with this budget.”