BUSINESS leaders have urged the new government to “get Scotland’s economy growing again”.
The latest figures show economic growth is lagging behind that of the UK and Liz Cameron, director and chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, called for "urgent action to get it moving in the right direction again".
The CBI, meanwhile, set out a range of measures the government could take to support firms and attract new business.
Hugh Aitken, CBI Scotland director, said they would work with the government to "create a positive business environment that will boost productivity, growth and prosperity".
He said: “Competitiveness is key to maintaining existing investment and attracting new businesses to Scotland. In particular, we want the Scottish Government to address the overall business rates burden and update the system, in its upcoming review.
“The election pledge to roll out broadband will be welcomed by firms across the country, but we also want to see a focus on improving mobile phone connectivity.
“Having already made good progress to improve early years support for families, we would now like to see the new Government go even further to help parents, especially talented women, get back to work by closing the gap between statutory maternity pay and affordable childcare.”
Ms Cameron highlighted the fact that the minority government would have to rely on other parties to pass its budgets and policies.
She said: "It is time for all of Scotland’s politicians to focus on the job in hand: supporting Scotland’s businesses to create the wealth and the jobs that our economy needs.
“Scottish Chambers of Commerce has been putting forward a broad platform of areas where we are looking to work with the new Government and the other political parties to put business first and get Scotland’s economy growing again.
“Our hope is that the new Scottish Government will take up these ideas and get to work now to deliver quick results.”
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said that the biggest challenge would be tackling the "chronic shortage" of housing while the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) said addressing poverty and inequality should be a priority.
Pointing to Holyrood's new powers, STUC General Secretary Grahame Smith said: "It is generally agreed that this is the most important period yet for the Scottish Parliament and the next Government will wield new powers on tax, welfare and employment.
"There are significant challenges in health and education and successive parliaments have yet to adequately address the poverty and inequality which scars our communities.
“Now is the time to be bold and to look across the Parliament and seek to build consensus for radical policies, using all of the powers at the Government’s disposal."
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