A financial cashpot of £185million to help small businesses has been welcomed but Jackie Baillie MSP says the fund needs to be made available now - not next month.
And the Labour member said that local firms were struggling to get access to some of the existing support grants.
Finance secretary Kate Forbes last week announced the package of £185 million in additional targeted support will be made available to businesses in January and includes targeted funds for the wedding sector and its supply chain, including photographers, hairdressers, taxi drivers, travel agents, coach companies and tour operators as well as visitor attractions.
Jackie said: “I am glad that the Scottish Government has finally listened to the calls that I, and the business community, have been making.”
She added: “However it is failing to show any sense of urgency in actually getting these funds into the pockets of businesses hardest hit by Covid-19.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “These suggestions are unfounded.
“We have acted with the utmost urgency to deliver more than £2.3 billion of emergency support to Scottish businesses, doing everything possible to protect livelihoods with the limited powers available to us.”
