| In a clarion call to the country's
wealth creators, Scottish Enterprise this week called on the sector to emulate the
agency's success in creating new businesses. A spokesuit told the JT:
"Over the last 7 years our business creation target was 25,000 new businesses, I'm
proud to report that at a cost of £140m of other people's money we've managed to
substantially meet that target - by creating 2124 businesses."
While critics might point out that the figure represents a 90% shortfall, agency
sources were quick to stress that the gross figure expended, £65K-ish per business, was
misleading. |
"It looks bad" a senior
SE manager conceded, "but we didn't spend anything like that on business creation. If
you factor out senior staff (ahem) fact-finding trips, endless staff training courses and
of course, the production of glossy brochures then, in net terms, we spent less than 30p
per business. A bargain in any one's book." The agency is likely to
come in for criticism over the use of public money to so little effect.
"Perhaps," SE sources conceded, "the money could have been better used,
possibly allocated in other ways. We're looking at that."
With this in mind, SE will announce next week the purchase of a helicopter which
will hover over centres of population and the crew will simply shovel hunners of money out
the cabin doors. |
