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The National Association of Jewellers has written to Birmingham’s mayor, as well as the MP for Birmingham Ladywood, calling for “urgent action” to support its members in the city’s jewellery quarter.
David Doyle, the NAJ’s president, and the association’s chair Gary Wroe have urged for support to reverse the government’s decision to remove the VAT Retail Export scheme from the 1 January 2021.
The letter states: “The VAT Retail Export scheme represents a point of competitive advantage for UK Jewellers to attract Jewellery buyers for their luxury goods.
“Unless the decision to remove the scheme is reversed, we foresee further implications across the wider sector with not just retail but also manufacturing Jewellery businesses in danger.”
It added: “The removal of this scheme will no doubt impact job security at a delicate moment for all, with businesses already having to make difficult decisions.
“The Jewellery Quarter, along with London’s Hatton Garden are the epicenters of British jewellery, not just commercially, but also culturally with heritage dating back to the 1800s, another competitive advantage that will be impacted with the scheme removed.”
