UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has announced a package of cost-relieving measures on energy prices, but it isn’t enough for arcades and FECs, says the trade association.
John White, CEO at BACTA, said: "Whilst we support any government help, a six-month freeze at already significantly higher energy costs will not provide the necessary help and certainty the sector needs.
"It will certainly not help the nearly 40,000 people employed in the sector worrying about whether they will survive the winter. As major users of electricity and as an important economic and cultural contributor to the UK, we must get more support and we hope the government revaluates this when it reviews its next course of actions for energy-intensive industries like ours, as promised by the Prime Minister.
“We will also use the invitation of the Prime Minister to engage with the government to set out why we should see VAT on energy cut to five per cent, Machines Gaming Duty cut to five per cent and the reintroduction of several Covid schemes that helped businesses get through the pandemic.
“The government needs to understand that we are uniquely adversely affected as we cannot pass on any of the fast-rising costs we are experiencing to consumers as the price we are allowed to charge players is set by the government.
"Furthermore we cannot reclaim VAT like every other business. That cannot be right. We therefore look forward to working with the government on this most pressing of issues and hope to learn more about their plans in the coming days and weeks.”
