McHale Plant Sales has proposed reducing the period over which the cost of plant and machinery can be written off.

The distributor is proposing the Government to reduce the write off limit from eight years to two for machinery in construction, renewals sectors, civil works and utilities repairs.

It would apply to a range of equipment such as heavy, medium and mini excavators, dozers, bucket loaders, dump trucks, rock crushers and aggregate screening equipment.

McHale Plant Sales Finance Director, Liam Foley, highlights a number of reasons why the government should consider the proposal.

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Noting that a tax arrangement similar to the one proposed is already in operation in the U.S.A, in the UK and in other countries, he underlines the advantages that the government industry would experience if such a change were to be brought into force:

• Generating extra employment, particularly within the industry itself.

• Driving fleet modernisation with all of the positive benefits that it would bring in terms of efficiency and safety.

• Enhancing the environment thanks to the improved environmental features of modern machines.

• Delivering significant safety benefits by creating better workplace conditions for those who operate and work within the vicinity of such machines.

Mr Foley said: "By instituting the change now proposed, Government would provide an important stimulus to an industry that has such a central role in delivering the employment-generating projects and initiatives and the infrastructural improvements through which Government hopes to drive economic prosperity and jobs going forward."

(LM/MH)