Your Pontypridd BID has launched an online Welsh Assembly petition calling on the Welsh Government to look at introducing a fairer tax system for business.

The petition is calling on the Welsh Government to take the lead by recognising the changes in business, particularly in retail that have occurred over the past decade and help reflect that better in its tax system, by taxing the high street, out of town retail parks and online shopping companies more equally.

Your Pontypridd BID Manger Victoria Pulman said ‘Business rates has been the number one issue raised with me by since I took up my post in summer 2017 and following on from the successful lobbying from all Welsh BIDS to extend the High Street Relief Scheme to Wales we decided to launch this petition on behalf of our businesses to show we’re listening to them and keeping the future of the high street on the Welsh Government’s agenda.

The petition is running for six months and can be signed by anyone in Wales and the UK and we’d encourage anyone who shares the BIDs aims for a thriving high street and a fairer tax system to sign and share it to show the Welsh Government the strength of feeling on the issue.

Businesses in Pontypridd will also be collecting signatures from shoppers, residents and visitors in support of the petition.

The petition link is here https://www.assembly.wales/en/gethome/e-petitions/Pages/petitiondetail.aspx?PetitionID=1484

Notes to Editors

Your Pontypridd Business Improvement District (BID) is May 2016, following a successful ballot process in February 2016. The BID is a business funded and business led investment, lobby and campaign group, focusing on improving trade and footfall and awareness of local business in Pontypridd.

More info can be found on our website at https://www.yourpontypridd.co.uk/

The petition states ‘ We call on the Welsh Government to recognise the changing nature of retail in Wales over the past decade and look at exploring ways of introducing a fairer business rates as part of more progressive Welsh tax system for large and small businesses in our town centres, retail parks and online to fully represent these changes.

Vibrant and sustainable towns and cities are important to everyone who lives and work in them and the Scottish Government have recognised this by looking at raising taxes for retail parks and UK Labour Party has called for annual business rates valuations have partly recognised the need to look at sharing the tax burden more evenly.

This is an opportunity for the Welsh Government to take the lead on fairer business rates and taxes and we at Your Pontypridd Business Improvement District (BID) encourage you to grasp the opportunity to show our local business that you understand their current and future needs’.