British government urged to boost infrastructure for economic recovery

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Monday urged the government to take practical measures to boost infrastructure construction, warning that infrastructure delay "could hit growth." The survey report jointly issued by the CBI, a leading business lobbying organization in Britain, and the KPMG, highlighted the importance of infrastructure to sustainable growth in Britain. "Quality infrastructure is vital for boosting exports, unlocking business investment across the UK, and supporting our leading firms, an essential element of a meaningful industrial strategy," said John Cridland, CBI Director-General. "We can't afford any further delay, urging the government to show strong leadership and prove that Britain can deliver on a small number of projects over the next 18 months and reach a much-needed consensus on bigger issues such as aviation and roads reform,"Cridland said. Speaking of many outstanding issues such as the future funding of the road network, aviation capacity and clarity over the costs of high speed two rail network (HS2), businesses surveyed expected things to get worse over the next five years. The survey of 526 business leaders showed an improving infrastructure investment environment in Britain, but found that two out of three firms, or 65 percent believe that government policies will have no tangible impact, or even a negative one. The CBI asked the government to take practical steps in the next 18 months to boost immediate construction, and also set the groundwork for longer-term decisions.