Responding to Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement, Ryan Crighton, Policy Director at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, says there's "much to reflect upon at Holyrood".
He said: "After far too many painful years of low growth, 110 measures to grow the economy is exactly what businesses needed to hear today. The Chancellor has read the room and delivered a package of investment incentives which will be widely welcomed.
"The Chamber network across the UK has been campaigning for full expensing to be made permanent, and we are delighted to have helped land this £11billion per year package – the biggest single business tax boost in half a century – to benefit our members in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, and throughout the whole country.
"Headline announcements on the doubling of the investment zone packages and almost £1billion of support for our green industries, including carbon capture, should also be good news for the North-east of Scotland – but the devil will be in the detail.
"However, for all the positives, failure to recognise the detrimental impact the Energy Profits Levy is having on the North Sea oil and gas sectors is a further blow to an industry which, following today’s announcement by PetroIneos, has shed 1,000 jobs and counting this year. The windfall tax needs to go if we are to avoid a cliff-edge end to our domestic oil and gas industry.
"Attention will now turn to the Scottish Budget next month, and there is much for here for the Scottish Government to reflect upon, not least the extension of 75% business rates relief to firms in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors. We cannot continue to allow Scottish firms to remain at a significant competitive disadvantage against their peers South of the border and urge the Scottish finance secretary to follow suit."