Writing in the latest edition of the organisation’s online magazine, Mr Goodyear says that, ‘worryingly’, there has been a willingness to blame local business for high inflation rates.
This is despite, he said, the fact that the single largest contributor to inflation locally are housing costs – which have been driven by government policy.
‘The impression that businesses are profiteering has been so well perpetuated that many Islanders now actually believe it, even when there is substantial and independent evidence to the contrary,’ says Mr Goodyear in Chamber online.
Rather than being the cause of the problem, Mr Goodyear says, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce believes that many local businesses have actually been victims of high inflation.
Businesses have seen operating costs rise sharply and the cost of premises spiral,’ he said.
‘Businesses have worked extremely hard to control costs and minimise the knock-on impact to the consumer,’ says Mr Goodyear.
