Businesses in Northern Ireland have been called on to take advantage of Brexit support from Invest Northern Ireland and InterTradeIreland.
The Brexit transitional period ends at the end of 2020, and companies in the UK will no longer be able to operate under any EU agreements on everything from physical trade and tariffs to laws and qualifications. The UK government chose not to extend the transitional period this summer despite the Covid-19 outbreak compounding difficulties faced by businesses.
Businesses across Northern Ireland have been calling for clarity throughout 2020 on exactly what the end of the year will bring to them, as the UK government has yet to communicate a clear plan for cross-border trade and cooperation on the island of Ireland.
Economy Minister Diane Dodds today encouraged businesses to access a range of EU Exit support that's being made available by Invest Northern Ireland and InterTradeIreland. The support includes online tools to check for problems in your business arrangements, virtual webinars on Brexit topics, and EU Exit support vouchers.
The Minister admitted that clarity is still needed on several issues facing businesses despite there being just a few months to go until the transitional period ends. Businesses have been encouraged to take some actions now, including reviewing their full supply chains, completing workplace audits, and signing up for the UK Government's Trader Support Service.
Tech firms will be in a particularly complex position when the transitional period ends due to the fact that they tend to hold large amounts of data that may include personal data of customers. They'll need to figure out exactly where their data is hosted, where and when data moves across the EU border, and what data from EU customers they are holding in the UK.
Commenting on the support, the Minister said: "I have been working with both Invest NI and InterTradeIreland to ensure support is available to businesses that need it. I hope business will avail of this support. There are also many issues where there remains uncertainty. In these areas I will continue to press for solutions that meet the needs of our businesses."
Invest NI is running information workshops and has access to specialist advisers in areas such as immigration and tax implications of Brexit, in addition to a Brexit preparation grant. InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Advisory Service runs online webinars focused on cross-border trade and is providing some financial support and professional support to businesses that need to tackle new customs arrangements and supply chain issues.
Source: Written based on press release
