A groundbreaking Bill designed to create jobs and drive economic growth across Scotland by promoting investment in communities has been published today by the Scottish Government.
The Community Wealth Building Bill is the first of its kind in the world and aims to boost local economies by requiring councils, NHS boards, and other public bodies to implement specific measures.
The Bill outlines several measures to enhance community wealth:
- Local Procurement: Encouraging public bodies to buy more goods and services from local companies.
- Promoting Local Enterprises: Supporting employee-owned businesses, co-operatives, and social enterprises.
- Community Regeneration: Assisting community groups in acquiring and regenerating derelict sites.
- Fair Work Practices: Advocating for fair work practices, including the payment of the real Living Wage.
Tom Arthur, Scottish Investment Minister, commented:
“To create jobs and support thriving communities we want to ensure that more money spent in Scotland stays in Scotland.
“This unique legislation will help to increase investment in local economies so that they become fairer, greener and more prosperous.
“I visited Greencity Wholefoods to highlight how supporting practices such as paying the real Living Wage and being a worker’s co-operative benefits the economy and helps to address wealth inequalities.”
The Community Wealth Building Bill aims to create jobs and stimulate economic growth by fostering local investment and supporting sustainable business practices.
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