Dublin Chamber has shared its disappointment after Dublin City Council voted to increase commercial rates in the city.
Rates are set to increase by 3% as part of the council's budget for 2020.
But the Dublin Chamber has said that the decision is 'extremely short-sighted' as the council knew about the budget deficits months before.
Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke said: “It’s disappointing to see businesses yet again forced to pick up the tab as councillors avoid making the difficult decisions.
"In deciding to retain the -15% reduction in Local Property Tax, councillors have refused to countenance €12m in potential income for the city.
"Had councillors instead implemented a reduction of -5% in LPT then the shortfall in the Council’s budget would have been met. This decision is extremely short-sighted.
"It is frustrating for businesses to be told that there is no option but to raise their rates again.
"The idea that businesses would be left to pick up the bill, when councillors have many other fund-raising levers available to them, is hugely disrespectful to the thousands of rate-paying companies in the city.
"Councillors should be looking at policies which will allow these businesses to maintain and create jobs in the city – but, instead, they have opted for a harsh increase in rates.”
The Chamber is arguing that businesses throughout the capital are being hit with costs from a number of angles.
Ms Burke continued: “[There was] last year’s VAT and commercial rates hikes coming on top of rising insurance and utilities costs and increased wage pressure from staff.
"There’s more to come too, with water rates in the city set to rise by an average of 18% next year – and now a near 3% increase in their commercial rates bill.”
