Electricity price hike on cards for industry
08/10/2005 - 08:46:54Businesses are facing bigger electricity bills.
The Energy Regulator is set to approve a 20% increase in electricity charges for industry.
The manufacturing, pharmaceutical and engineering sectors are expected to be hardest hit by any such rise.
Business and employers group IBEC is concerned that the hike could affect jobs by forcing large multi-nationals to review their Irish operations.
Director of Enterprise IBEC Brendan Butler says more needs to be done to support the manufacturing industry, where an estimated 300,000 people are employed.
Mr Bulter claims the price hike could be fatal for a sector that has already be forced to lay off thousands of people.
