The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has written to the Welsh Minister for Housing and Local Government with practical suggestions to support the building supply chain and lay the foundations for long-term, enduring economic recovery.
With Welsh members accounting for approximately £2.8 billion annual sales and employing more than 3,000 people, the BMF encouraged the Welsh Government to invest in building more homes in Wales and to introduce a similar scheme to the Green Homes Grant in England to incentivise homeowners and landlords to improve the thermal and energy performance of existing homes.
The BMF also prioritised support for businesses across the building supply chain through business rate holidays for merchants who were forced to close temporarily, making it easier for SMEs to bid for public procurement contracts post-Brexit and excluding firms from public procurement if they do not pay promptly.
The federation’s CEO, John Newcomb said: “The BMF is a member of the Wales Construction Federation Alliance along with others who represent the construction, house-building and property RMI industries. At a recent meeting the Minister asked what really matters to the supply chain and we welcomed the opportunity to provide our thoughts on how best to focus their efforts recovery.”