With ASKAR SHEIBANI,

CEO, Comtek Network Systems UK Ltd and chair DBF

We are now entering the run-up to the election for the Welsh Parliament. This is an ideal time for the business community to force the politicians to commit to a long-term industrial and economic strategy. This is also the time to hold them to account for what they had promised and have delivered.

The business community has gone through huge challenges and made great sacrifices in order to maintain jobs and protect the economy in North Wales.

Most businesses in North Wales believe the Welsh Government has been more focused on South Wales and has not recognised the existence of the enormous potential for long-term economic development in the region. The notion of the North-South divide in Wales is not a myth, it is a reality.

The 2019 general election demonstrated people's feeling by turning almost the whole of North Wales to Conservative constituencies (seven Conservative, one Labour, one Plaid). The 2019 election was a resoundingly loud and clear statement that North Wales cannot be taken for granted any more.

Welsh Labour Government appointed Ken Skates MS as the Minister for North Wales. Initially, this sounded fantastic news; a change of course and the creation of a levelling up agenda.

Unfortunately, the title of the Minister for North Wales proved to be a just title with no real teeth. This is not to detract from the capabilities of the Minister who fights his corner for North Wales. However, there is little appetite in the Senedd to seriously recognise the importance of the area to Wales' economy.

Mr Skates MS is a popular, highly competent politician. He is from North Wales, understands its potential and is well respected within the business community.

I believe that if the Welsh government was serious about tackling the issue of the North-South divide, it would have devolved some of its power to the Minister for North Wales and allowed the region to develop its economy by utilising its home bred innovation and regional knowledge.

History has demonstrated time and time again that North Wales has an incredibly resilient business community.

After the devastation and closure of the Shotton Steel Works, when over 20,000 people lost their jobs and livelihoods, with the leadership of former MP, Lord Barry Jones, the community fought hard and developed one of the best manufacturing regions in the UK.

The business community in North Wales are battle-hardened and are up to all challenges. We will come out of the pandemic and Brexit stronger.

However, the political parties would be ill-advised to take us for granted. This time they need to come up with clear solid plans to demonstrate how and within what exact time scale they will invest in North Wales' ailing infrastructure.

We have two international airports round the corner with no direct public transport links to either of them. It is easier to travel by train to London than to Liverpool and Manchester.

Our manufacturing in North East Wales has suffered substantially during this pandemic. We have lost thousands of high-skilled, brilliant workers due to factory closures and downsizing.

Allowing the recent loss of our region's most talented engineering workforce was total economic madness.

We need to learn a few lessons from the Germans about how to protect our manufacturing and highly skilled workers.

We must this time demand clear manifestos from the political parties.

For example, the exact authority and remit of the minister for North Wales. Their detailed plan for upgrading North Wales' ageing infrastructure and the precise time scale for its implementation.

How they are going to revamp and upgrade the outdated, not fit for purpose, public procurement system in order to support our indigenous community-based businesses?

How are they planning to support and help to grow the manufacturing sector that employs skilled workers and pays good salaries?

Demonstration of economic competence must be at the heart of all their manifestos.