Minister publishes BES Review
Monday, February 19, 2007 at 07:47PM Minister for Finance Brian Cowen has this evening published the review on which he purports to rely to justify the boost proposed to the BES in the Budget. (See previous posts here and here).
It is a 50-page PDF, and I have to say that it is a very flimsy piece of work. I cannot imagine that the EU Commission will give it too much attention as a justification for increasing a state aid.
It records amounts of finance provided and numbers of companies assisted, and the opinions of entrepreneurs. As far I could discern on my first quick look, analysis of cause and effect is absent, as is any healthy scepticism towards the tales that were being told by what were essentially the vested interests surveyed.
Update(22.02.07):I have now read the report in full. Having done so, I have to say that "flimsy" is verging towards unfairness as a description of it. Moreover, it may indeed persuade the EU Commission. I am still sceptical that it ought to do so, however, and will explain why later.
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