Budget INSIGHT
Rufus Grig, Chief Strategy Offi cer,
Maintel
“In the past few months, there has been
much hype around 5G and its business
applications. However, the reality is
much of the UK struggles when it comes
to speedy internet connection and
mobile coverage – let alone using 5G for
enterprise applications. We welcome the
Government’s pledge to improve 4G across
the country and to improve broadband for
more rural areas.
“High-speed internet has never
been more vital in ensuring that British
organisations perform to their full
potential. The proposed pledge to improve
broadband is a step forward. However, it
cannot stop there. More must be done to
continuously improve internet speeds and
network infrastructure .”
Martin Taylor, Deputy CEO at Content
Guru
“Eyes were on the new Chancellor, Rishi
Sunak, to see how he approached the
Government’s intention to ‘review and
reform’ entrepreneurs’ relief in this Budget.
At a time when the UK economy is under
huge pressure, reducing entrepreneurs’
relief doesn’t send a strong signal to
businesses and the individuals behind
them that they have the Government’s full
support.
It’s dangerous to put a ceiling on
entrepreneurs’ ambitions. Yes, most
businesses are small and in the submillions
range, but the ones we really need
in Britain are the mid-to-large businesses.
We need to be creating as many
entrepreneurs as possible in the hope that
many of them will go on to become the next
British businesses success story. It’s
these companies that will have the most
signifi cant impact on Britain’s economy in
the coming years.
The UK needed to see strong signals of
a pro-business government in Chancellor
Rishi Sunak’s fi rst Budget. This is essential
given both Brexit and a range of other
pressures on the UK economy. While annual
investment allowance was temporarily
increased last year, extending this is
a good move for this Government to
encourage more investment by businesses
in the next few years. This may unlock
thousands of new capital projects that will
fi lter down to a range of British businesses.
With the uncertainty around Brexit, many
businesses have been in ‘wait and see
mode’ for some time. An extra increase
could push them off the fence and spur a
fl urry of investment.
An astute move from Chancellor Rishi
Sunak would be to extend the purview of
the annual investment allowance to the
purchase of cloud services ...”
Geoff Burns, head of sales at Nice
Network
“The Government’s announcement
today that it is investing £510 million into
the shared rural mobile phone network
is fantastic news for the UK’s rural
businesses.
“It has been well documented over
recent years that the UK has a huge digital
divide with urban areas soaking up most of
the investment when it comes to improving
connectivity and many rural areas have
long felt overlooked.
“This investment will see the UK’s 4G
network expand hugely, covering 95
per cent of the country by 2025 and
helping rural businesses capitalise on the
many business benefi ts of decent digital
connectivity which they’ve lacked for so
long now.”
AT A GLANCE:
Entrepreneurs’ relief
• The lifetime limit for Entrepreneurs Relief will shift from £10m to £1m. About 80 per cent of
small businesses are not affected. The reforms save £6bn over the next fi ve years.
• These funds will be spent on business tax relief for investing in buildings, employment and
research and development.
Coronavirus
• A fi scal stimulus totalling £30bn, including welfare and business support, sick-pay changes
and local assistance.
• This includes £7bn for businesses and families and £5bn for the NHS.
Business support
• £2bn of sick-pay rebates for up to 2m small businesses with fewer than 250 employees.
• £1bn of lending via a government-backed loan scheme, with government backing 80 per
cent of losses on bank lending.
• Abolition of business rates altogether for this year for retailers, in a tax cut worth more than
£1bn.
• Any company eligible for small business rates relief will be allowed a £3,000 cash grant – a
£2bn injection for 700,000 small businesses.
Gig Economy
• £5bn towards getting gigabit broadband in the most diffi cult-to-reach areas (20 per cent) of
the country.
• £22bn increase in public sector R&D investment
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