Finance Minister Simon Hamilton has told The Impartial Reporter that businesses who have had a rates hike “should have been paying it well before now.” Many Fermanagh businesses who are in the process of appealing rates increases of up to 100 per cent will be disappointed to hear the Minister say: “This is not Land and Property Services nor DFP deciding who should pay more or who should pay less. The property market has done that.

“The problem for some stems from the gap between this Revaluation and the last one in 2003. It could be argued that those now paying more should have been paying it well before now.” A 97 per cent rates hike for The Custom House Country Inn in Belcoo is “devastating”, according to owner Donal Martin. He states: “We don’t know what we are going to do. An almost 100 per cent rates increase is devastating. Our rates bill has gone up from £6,000 to almost £13,000. That means that we no longer qualify for the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme. It seems that Main Street in Enniskillen is seeing reductions to their rates but [Land and Property Services] are making it up from smaller businesses in the country. I don’t understand how my business rates are higher than the Bank of Ireland in Enniskillen.” His B&B and restaurant has been operating on Belcoo Main Street for 15 years.

“We just about survived the recession and now in our first year out of recession we are faced with this. Business isn’t bad at the minute but we can’t absorb this hike.” The Custom House employs 14 people during its summer season which begins in June. “The impact of this will probably mean job losses,” Mr. Martin states.

In Newtownbutler, Declan McCabe of McCabe’s SuperValu is “really frustrated” with a 50 per cent increase on his bill.

“It’s an absolute disgrace. I’m going to be cutting hours to stand still. I wouldn’t mind paying the rates if we got something for them. I had to hire a private waste collection company because the Council’s prices were too high. I pay for PRNs, water and sewers, many of these used to be included in the rates,” Mr. McCabe says.

He adds: “The Newtownbutler Road towards Clones is falling away. We are not seeing a return on our rates and I want to know are we paying to make up for joining with Omagh Council?” Una Lilley, owner of Lilley’s Centra, has seen a 69 per cent increase in her rates bill, despite rates relief of £600. She is not happy with the feedback she received after lobbying Stormont’s Finance and Personnel Committee on rates hikes before Easter.

Ms. Lilley says: “The politicians are going to have to take notice because, once the bills went out people started jumping up and down.” Sinn Féin MLA Phil Flanagan has stated: “Numerous business owners from across Fermanagh and further afield have contacted me to express their anger and frustration at the significant increase in their rates bill as a result of this flawed revaluation.

“I am calling on the Minister to explore the possibility of an overhaul of the rating system with a view to relieving the pressures being felt by many SMEs.

In response to Mr. Flanagan’s comments, the Finance Minister told The Impartial Reporter: “I am surprised Phil Flanagan is not aware of my announcement, in November 2013, to undertake a fundamental review of business rates.  Work on the review will begin in June and it will explore other ways of raising finance from the commercial sector to help pay for essential public services.

“It is worth pointing out that the revaluation, which Mr Flanagan calls ‘flawed’, was undertaken with the support of the Executive in response to calls from public representatives and the business sector. I think it was the right thing to do and it helped rebalance the system, however, it does mean there are both winners and losers.” He continued: “Mr Flanagan should be aware of the Executive’s support for ratepayers despite a shrinking public purse. A package of support worth up to £30 million will see the impact of rates convergence effectively removed for any business ratepayer, through an 80 per cent subsidy this year.

“Over 33,450 businesses have received more than £62 million through the Small Businesses Rate Relief, since 2010 and 375 new businesses have benefited from the introduction of Empty Premises Rate Relief Scheme from 2012.

“More than 5,500 businesses have saved over £330 million in rates since the decision to continue Industrial Derating was made and an exemption for rural ATMs has increased ATMs from 37 to 76 since this rate exemption was introduced.  All these rate relief schemes have been extended for 2015/16. Likewise the regional rate set by the Executive has been frozen in real terms.”