Crippling city rates could force shops to shut, chamber warns

BUSINESS leaders in Limerick warned yesterday that shops in the city centre will be forced out of business if crippling rates continue to spiral at their present rate.

Limerick city has the highest commercial rate in the country.

Fearing that jobs will be lost and businesses forced to close, Limerick Chamber of Commerce has launched a Commercial Rates Campaign and is calling for local authority charge increases for 2006 not to exceed the projected rate of inflation of 2.4%.