Retail sector will struggle unless Government changes policy

News that retail sales are still struggling to reach previous years' levels has prompted the Irish Small and Medium Enterprise Association (ISME) to describe the retail sector as being in "a wretched state". The latest Government data reveals retail sales recorded a slight rise of just 0.7pc during July. But on a yearly basis, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show shop sales were down 1.5pc compared with last summer. Mark Fielding, chief executive of ISME, said more and more retailers were finding it "harder to make ends meet". And with the Government already beginning to signal huge cuts in the year-end budget, it appears as if the Government's policy of grinding the economy into the ground continues unabated. Household charge, septic tank charges, water charges and now property taxes, along with rising diesel prices and living costs means that people are being squeezed from every angle. It is no surprise that our domestic economy and our retail sector is so sluggish given the financial pressure consumers are now under. As an economy we will find it increasingly difficult to stimulate economic demand if we continue to load more and more charges and costs on the shoulders of the taxpayers.