SDLP Economy spokesperson Sinead McLaughlin
The Foyle MLA was speaking at Stormont this week.
She said that unless immediate action is taken brick and mortar retailers could disappear.
The SDLP Economy Spokesperson told the Minister: “I’m very concerned about the state of our town and city centres.
“They have been in decline for many, many years and this has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Foyle MLA called on Mr Murphy to “radically review the fiscal policy that we have in relation to the taxation of businesses”.
She asked him to personally ensure the review “takes place very quickly”.
Said Ms McLaughlin: “We should be incentivising businesses to actually set up in our town centres, at the minute the fiscal policy that we operate actually penalises businesses that decide to set up here.
“There’s no level playing field, bricks and mortar are penalised and taxed while online shopping has experienced great growth in recent years.
“It’s not going to go away.
“We need to see a complete review of how we do businesses and taxation here in Northern Ireland.
“I would like to see you as Minister being a leader and a champion for delivering fiscal policy that is different and incentivises businesses.”
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