Liz Cameron
Scotland's new First Minister has been very active in courting the business community in the time since she assumed office and it seems clear that she is pursuing an active partnership approach towards achieving both the economic and social goals of the Scottish Government.
This is an approach which business welcomes and we share the First Minister's vision of a fair and prosperous Scotland. Indeed, Scottish Chambers of Commerce was one step ahead of the First Minister's equalities agenda as we already had a majority female board prior to the announcement of the new Scottish Government cabinet!
As we look forward to 2015, the question for business it what nature our future partnership with Government will take? The present Scottish Government has, since 2007, placed the goal of increasing sustainable economic growth as its central purpose.
We believe that this is the right approach for our Government and that it is business that will deliver that growth, creating employment and wealth, thus enabling our Governments, local, Scottish and UK, to deliver upon their social agendas. Without business growth, Governments would have to borrow more or tax more to fund their plans and neither of those prospects is desirable nor sustainable.
Last week the Scottish Government revealed that 2,048,500 people worked in the private sector in Scotland, compared with 541,900 in the public sector. With 79% of us now employed by the private sector, it is clear that business success , and our ability to continue to compete creating much needed jobs, will be the determining factor in achieving both economic growth and social justice.
This is particularly important in Scotland as our devolved Parliament assumes an increasing responsibility for the revenues it raises - as a result of both the Scotland Act 2012 and the recommendations of the Smith Commission.
Scotland's businesses have had the resilience to cope with the deepest recession in our modern history and are continuing to succeed in the face of challenges in the economies of many of our key export markets. With the continued and enhanced support of our Governments, delivering the right policies, we can maximise the prospects of further success.
The results of which will enable Government to tackle social objectives. That is the kind of partnership that we want to see enhanced in the coming years and it is one that business is willing to play a full part in, ensuring that our success contributes in full measure towards a fairer society.
Liz Cameron is chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce
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