IBEC demands govt action to improve competitiveness in 2005
31/12/2004 - 07:37:58The employers' body IBEC has demanded government action to improve competitiveness next year, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
In an end-of-year statement, the organisation said Irish manufacturers were receiving lower prices for their goods due to increased international competition, yet their costs were continually increasing.
It said this situation was unsustainable and needed to be addressed.
IBEC has also called for a greater sense of urgency in the building of new roads and other infrastructure such as waste incinerators and measures to eliminate inefficiency in the spending of public funds.
The business group said it was expecting economic growth of 4.5% in 2005, more than twice the predicted rate in the eurozone and well ahead of both the UK and United States.
