Derek Mackay bows to rates hike fears with £45m package – Herald

Tom Gordon, Scottish Political Editor

ALMOST 10,000 businesses across Scotland are to spared crippling rates
rises after the SNP Government bowed to pressure and unveiled a £45m
package of support.

After initially maintaining he had done enough to help firms through the
first rates revaluation since 2010, Derek Mackay belatedly announced a raft
of targeted reliefs for next year.

SNIP

Hotels had faced an average increase of 37 per cent, while offices in and
around Aberdeen faced increases of 15 to 17 per cent, compared to a
national fall in rates of 10 per cent.

There are also new reliefs for renewable and community energy schemes.

The government said the money would be found from a contingency within the
rates system, meaning there would be no cuts to council budgets or other
public spending.