NI Conservatives' spokesman, Johnny Andrews, has urged the executive to be business friendly, ahead of today's meeting on Corporation Tax rates and after the latest labour figures showed another rise in unemployment and fall in productivity.
"This executive pays lip service to rebalancing our economy and creating employment in the private sector, but it is failing in quite spectacular fashion. While the number of people in work in the rest of the United Kingdom is growing and while workers in GB are increasingly moving from the public to the private sector, Northern Ireland appears to be going in the opposite direction."
"Ministers do have tools at their disposal. They already have powers to implement enterprise zones, but, unlike every other part of the UK, have chosen not to use them. They could provide incentives - like rates relief - to exporters, tax relief for research & development and easy access to loans for small and medium sized businesses."
"The executive ministers at today’s meeting on devolving Corporation Tax should be emphasising their determination to see the rate cuts, rather than casting doubt on the effectiveness of lower business tax. This policy has gained support from economists now for 15 years, it purpose is to create jobs and it can be a game-changer for our economy.
"The executive must now show that it can deliver business friendly policies because currently it is hampering the private sector and failing to create jobs. Arlene Foster should drop the excuses and start to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland. Because, without a credible plan which prioritises growing the private sector, even more people here will be condemned to joblessness."