Tuesday, January 5, 2010

FW: suggestion to help small business sector. Letter to Editor.

This letter was printed by the Irish Examiner on Sat 2nd Jan 2010. It attracted pages and pages of reaction, comment and vitriol on website the propertypin I was pleased to note!
Subject: FW: suggestion to help small business sector. Letter to Editor.
Sir,
What the country now needs is an OBAMA. I am not referring to a prescription for soundbite political leadership, but to an asset management agency for Ireland's small business sector aimed at encouraging job creation.

The Ordinary Business Asset Management Agency would manage non-performing property investments of SME owner-managers, with conditions attached to ensure job creation and economic stimulus.

The interest-only repayments on that 500,000 euro lonely shannonside holiday home or shuttered flaking provincial commercial unit being approximately 2500 euro per month, I would surrender that property, but not the liability, to OBAMA. In return I would be bound to spend that 2500 euro per month on wages and PRSI to REEMPLOY someone, to creat a job, to grow my business.

Morgan Kelly of UCD's recent paper on the Irish Credit Bubble states" The property related borrowings of the owners of smaller Irish companies are now an impediment to their companies' survival and may lead to large job losses as owners are forced into bankruptcy over losses in property speculation. The destruction of the Irish entrepreneurial class may prove one of the most enduring and costly consequences of the property bubble."

Entrepreneurs define themselves by the successes of their business ventures and would prioritise their business' survival IF given a choice. Entrepreneurs will take knocks and pick themselves up again time after time. That is the nature of the beast.

If business owners were freed from the constraints of paying back large mortgages for secondary properties, cash would transfuse the small to medium enterprise sector, fuel growth of Ireland's GNP and get the private sector back to work.

Des Groome,
Chairman of Kildare Chamber of Commerce.
Kilcumney House,
Kildare town.



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FW: letter to editor, Banking Crisis.

This letter was printed in the Irish Independent on Monday 4th Jan. The bank crisis and corporate governance issue is one I will not let go of!
Sir,
An inquiry into the causes, culprits and consequences of the Irish Banking Crisis is necessary.
If indeed there were illegalities of corporate governance committed, the public must see the rule of law upheld if only to preserve the credibility of law and order itself.
 
If misdemeanours of imprudence or bad judgement were committed, the public would be reassured if the right people were shown to be "accountable" if only to preserve some credibility for a future banking system.
 
Any bank now asking ordinary creditors to put themselves under duress to honour loan liabilities must apply new standards and ethics to its own practices.
 
Mr Cowen is incorrect that a banking inquiry would weaken confidence on the international markets. A new style of corporate governance and financial regulation would reassure and stabilise markets.
 
A tribunal style banking inquiry would not be appropriate on cost grounds alone. However a cross party  Oireachtas inquiry, chaired by an international and neutral figure should be considered. An EU inquiry into the entire eurozone's banking practices, past and future, might also be useful.
 
Public discourse on this issue needs to continue as the aims and format of such an inquiry would be crucial from the outset. A facebook page has been set up" Call to investigate the banking crisis". Our banks customers, depositors, shareholders and the nation's tax payers need a say in the banking system we want to have.
 
Des Groome,
Chairman Kildare Chamber of Commerce,
Kilcumney House,
Kildare.
 


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