Nanette Milne, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East has condemned the SNP Scottish Governments plans to introduce a tax increase on commercial property rates which will harm not only businesses across the North East, are also set to cost North East Council taxpayers over £143,000.
NHS Grampian has 5 empty commercial properties which under the SNP rates increase would cost NHS Grampian over £75,000.
Nanette Milne, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East said:
“There will be real concern that the SNP increase in empty commercial property rates will hit the already hard pressed budgets of North East Council.
“Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through Freedom of Information have shown that Aberdeen City Council has 39 empty commercial properties and Aberdeenshire Council has 44 empty commercial properties which will be affected by the SNP rates increase which is set to cost local taxpayers over £143,000.
“Scottish Conservatives worked hard to press the SNP Scottish Government to deliver fair Council funding for North East Councils.
“SNP plans to introduce a tax increase on commercial property rates will result in the Scottish Government giving to North East Councils with one hand and taking away with the other.
“I have today written to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney to ask what assessment he has made of the impact of the SNP tax increase on commercial property rates on local authorities.”