APPENDIX 3
Memorandum submitted by J Robinson &
Sons Ltd
We are a quarry materials and concrete producer
located in County Antrim employing 48 personnel. Antrim is the
only Northern Ireland County not to have a land border with the
Republic of Ireland and some government offices have suggested
that the consequences of the tax and land border would lose effect
after 10 miles inland. This is wholly incorrect as we see our
business being affected directly for the following reasons:
(1) Quarries within 20 miles of the border
will be forced to close or relocate to the Republic of Ireland
due to a massive black market which will emerge as a result of
the tax, similar to that of the fuel industry. Quarries within
25 to 40 miles of the border will be unable to compete south of
their works and will be forced to focus on markets north in County
Antrim.
We see our region becoming intensely competitive
with an influx of new suppliers in an already depressed market
creating massive over subscription and zero margins.
(2) We have a customer base, which extends
to all parts of Northern Ireland. It will be virtually impossible
to market our products to a contractor based in a border county,
working in Antrim, and having the benefit of cheap imports at
home.
(3) How do we convince our contractors and
builders they have to pay 40 per cent more for our products? How
are they even expected to manage a two tier pricing structure
in a small province like Northern Ireland?
These issues along with the many other issues
already raised by our Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland
Office will lead to the eventual collapse of our business and
many others in County Antrim.
Our economy in County Antrim will in no doubt
suffer the same fate as that of the border counties, leading to
total province wide industry collapse, should the aggregate tax
come into effect.
23 October 2001
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