Picture: Diarmuid Greene
Mazars’ briefing
^ AUDIT, tax and advisory firm Mazars says that the future success of businesses in the Mid-West region will require a collaborative approach. Richard Maguire, Partner in Mazars’ Limerick office, was speaking at a business briefing hosted by the company for businesses in the Mid-West. Also speaking at the event was Minister of State Pat Breen who has special responsibility for trade, employment, business, EU digital single market and data protection. He said, “The Government is acutely aware of the need to ensure that economic success is felt in all the regions. Vibrant and competitive regions are important, not just from an economic perspective, but also from a societal point of view.”
eCommerce awards
^ CO-OP Superstores, Carrolls Irish Gifts and Tony Kealys are the three finalists in the top websites of the year category in this year’s Retail Excellence eCommerce Awards. The top three new websites are Arboretum, Appliances Delivered and Vaughan Shoes while the best digital campaign finalists are INGLOT, Appliances Delivered and TileStyle. Established in 1997 to encourage high standards in the Irish retail industry, the Retail Excellence awards are now the largest and most prestigious of its kind in Ireland. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 11 in the Malton Hotel, Killarney where the overall winners in each category will be announced.
HSA inspections
^ The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has launched a nationwide inspection campaign targeted at discount and hardware stores to ensure that hazardous chemical products comply with the relevant EU chemical legislation, which is designed to improve chemical safety. HSA inspectors will also check for the presence of banned chemicals in jewellery, glues and adhesives. The chemicals cadmium, nickel and lead are banned in jewellery while benzene, chloroform and toluene are banned in glues and adhesives. Inspections will focus on cleaning and laundry products; air fresheners and reed diffusers; paint products; jewellery and glues. The packaging of these products will also be checked to ensure child-resistant fastenings and tactile warnings of danger are included.
Public procurement
^ Minister of State with special responsibility for Public Procurement, Patrick O’Donovan has launched the Office of Government Procurement’s (OGP) Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis report. It is the OGP’s third annual report that analyses expenditure and tendering activity on goods, services and minor works across public service bodies. This report analyses just over €4.5 billion – or three-quarters – of the estimated annual public procurement addressable spend under the remit of the OGP and its sector partners for 2015. The report continues the work of the OGP in increasing openness and transparency on public expenditure. The analysis is encouraging, indicating that 94 per cent of the State’s expenditure is with Irish firms.
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