The Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society says that the recession has provided a significant opportunity for Northern Ireland to re-define and re-shape its private and public sectors and to build for the future. Kevin Kingston said that while the local and global economy continued to face severe economic challenges, we should use the period of change to build a better Northern Ireland.
Speaking to around 350 guests at the Ulster Society’s Annual Dinner tonight (11th March), Kevin Kingston said: “We are facing an unprecedented period of change. Now is the time to make sure that we adapt to and seek out the opportunities that will flow from this changed world.
“We must remember that we will be measured not by the scale of the challenges that we face but rather by the way in which we react and respond to those challenges. We have a golden opportunity to re-define and re-shape our private and public sectors.
“Collectively, we must set genuine targets as we climb back to growth and we must engage with, inform and support our Executive at Stormont as they seek to keep the economy at the centre of their thinking."
Mr Kingston said that a greater focus on supporting the indigenous entrepreneur was required: “I am a passionate believer that our home grown talent needs to be nurtured and developed, and the men and women who are the genuine entrepreneurs must have the space to grow and the back-up they require to realise their business dreams.”
Turning to the public sector, Mr Kingston said: “Culturally, our legislators must re-define how the public sector should behave. We cannot allow a situation to develop where good ideas are left to gather dust because of a risk-averse approach to life.
“We need to look again at public sector audit and accountability processes and have a realistic acknowledgement that some projects will fail. And failure, at some cost to the taxpayer, will happen as we conduct a relentless search for winners.
“It is now time to look to the future and to focus on the opportunity that we have been given to build a better Northern Ireland. As far as Chartered Accountants Ulster Society is concerned, I can promise that we will continue to make all the contribution we can to delivering a stronger local economy.”
Guests at the Ulster Society Annual Dinner at the Culloden Hotel also heard from guest speakers Stephanie Flanders, BBC Economics Editor, and Brendan Keenan, Business Editor, Independent Newspaper Group.
Some photos from the Dinner can be viewed here.