A poor image can make it harder and more expensive to run a business in Lolland.
That is the warning from Peter Dan Petersen, Chairman of Nakskov Handel & Erhverv, following a recent meeting of the association that brought together companies, business representatives and politicians at Skovridergaarden in Nakskov.
- Because of the poor image, there are banks, mortgage lenders and others that are not willing to lend money on the same terms in postcode 4900 as they do elsewhere in Denmark. We have some terrible examples of that, he says.
Near the bottom
The warning comes after Lolland Municipality’s drop of 21 places to number 82 out of 91 municipalities in the Confederation of Danish Industry’s business-friendliness ranking was discussed in depth at the meeting.
In the category for municipal administration, Lolland ranks 88th, and Peter Dan Petersen stresses that the DI survey is read across the country and therefore helps shape perceptions of Lolland, the municipality and Nakskov.
- The municipality may well feel that the survey does not give a fair picture, but as long as it is the benchmark that everyone else reads and takes into account, the municipality has a problem. It is an important indicator that is read throughout the country, he says.
At the business meeting, participants called for, among other things, faster administrative processing and better service. Peter Dan Petersen is now urging the municipality to look to the municipalities at the top of the ranking, while also stressing that a heavy workload among municipal employees is not an excuse.
- Of course people at the town hall are busy, but they are busy in every municipality. It is about how you prioritise and handle the work, and Lolland needs to rethink the way it operates, he says.
