The business community in Northern Ireland is demanding that the Assembly work, Mr Christopher Gibson, chairman of the Confederation of British Industry in the North (CBI NI) has said.
The new Assembly could provide the stimulus to help Northern Ireland recapture the dynamism which had allowed the North thrive economically in the first part of this century, he told business leaders, politicians and trade unionists at the organisation's annual lunch yesterday.
Since the last major function of the CBI, held shortly before the signing of the Belfast Agreement, "events unfolded on which I believe not even the most optimistic amongst us would have, `bet the company'. Now, we might not like all the details of the transaction, but like all deals once it is done, we must make the most of the decision", he added. "The new Assembly offers us the opportunity to capture once again the principles which allowed the industries and the businesses in the first part of this century to thrive, to flourish once again in the north-eastern corner of this island. Whilst we will be demanding of the Assembly, we also expect the Assembly to set demanding performance targets for all of us," said Mr Gibson.
He added that Northern Ireland required greater political stability and certainty between all the expressions of political desire. "The Agreement which created the Assembly offers us the opportunity to accomplish this, if taken in its entirety. This most certainly is the expectation - indeed the demand - of the business community of our newly-elected Assembly members."
Sir Clive Thompson, president of the overall CBI organisation, said he looked forward to the time when Northern Ireland could match the Republic's "Celtic Tiger". "Nowhere has a better chance to create a dynamic future than Northern Ireland. First - and to be very blunt - you have plenty of room for improvement. Your regional GDP per head is the lowest in the UK, at £8,700 compared to £10,711 in the UK as a whole," he added.
"But second, you have, thanks to peace and political stability, an ideal opportunity to make a break with the past: a positive climate for investment, including from abroad; new opportunities for tourism; a re-focusing of public expenditure from security to more productive uses - everything changes with peace," said Sir Clive.
