With Askar Sheibani

CEO, Comtek Network Systems UK Ltd and chair DBF

The global economic condition, soaring energy costs, crippling inflation, Brexit, lack of skilled workers and ineffective government leadership is killing our community-based businesses.

Our leaders are living on a different planet. They have no idea what is going on within our local business communities.

Some of our political leaders believe that reducing the corporation tax for multi-billion global businesses will avert the suffering or destruction of small business owners. These large businesses, such as Amazon, Facebook, Starbucks, Google, Shell, and BP, have an army of experts who know how to mitigate their tax liabilities and even avoid paying tax altogether.

Small businesses are trapped and as always pay a heavy price during the economic crises. They are an easy target for HMRC, landlords, energy companies, banks, council tax collectors and other government agencies who will go after them and force them into bankruptcy.

Unlike workers who can join trade unions to fight for them and voice their concerns, small businesses can be silently squashed and destroyed.

Read more: Wrexham and Flintshire firms face "devastation" without energy cost help

We are now about to face a catastrophic economic crisis. If government foolishly ignore the plight of our grassroots, indigenous small enterprises, we will face devastation and social deprivation within our communities.

Small homegrown enterprises employ a far greater number of local workers than the multi-nationals. Unlike large organisations, they are an integrated part of our social fabric. They have recently undergone an agonising period during the pandemic. They had to borrow a significant amount of money just to stay afloat and save jobs and livelihoods. They were just about to enter the recovery period when another economic disaster hit.

They are now in the firing line and in need of desperate intervention by the government.

The cap on energy prices does not apply to small businesses. The interest rate on their debt is rapidly increasing at an alarming rate. The landlords are demanding higher rents. Their workers are demanding wage increases. As the value of the pound is diving down against other currencies, notably the US dollar, the cost of imported parts has gone through the roof.

READ MORE: Prestatyn butcher to shut on Mondays due to ‘frightening’ cost-of-living crisis

The business community is expecting this upcoming economic crisis to hurt them much more than the pandemic.

It is very disappointing that the Welsh Government unlike during the pandemic has been deafeningly silent about this forthcoming economic avalanche that has started to hit our Welsh local businesses. Our Welsh politicians must start vigorously voicing our concerns with the UK government and demanding substantial support for Welsh businesses.

The following actions from the UK government are urgently needed to save our vulnerable small businesses:

• Scrap the punitive outdated Business rate tax and include it within the corporation tax which is a fairer tax based on profit.

• Scrap the recent increase in the National Insurance tax.

• Introduce a moratorium on capital repayments on government loans.

• Introduce grants to viable businesses, so they can grow their businesses.

• Introduce a moratorium on compulsory winding up petitions.

• Introduce an energy price freeze for small businesses.

• Introduce a moratorium on energy supplies disconnection action because of overdue debt which is forcing the small businesses into bankruptcy.

• Encourage both the energy supplier and the business to enter arbitration and a time-to-pay agreement.

The country will only come out of this unfortunate economic crisis by supporting small to mid-size businesses.

If the government helps our local businesses to pass through this difficult period, they will come out with strength and create more employment and prosperity. It will bring hope and a better future, especially for our younger citizens.

Our Welsh businesses are battle-hardened and resilient. Do not throw us under the bus. Give us the chance to save our great Welsh communities.

History has shown that we can succeed and deliver, as we have done in the past.