The CITB announced in March 2020 that it would be suspending 2020-21 Levy collection for an initial period of three months in response to the COVID-19 crisis, which was welcomed by the NFB. In June 2020 the CITB announced that Levy collection would again be suspended until September and then collected over the following 12 months with a view to reducing 2021-22 Levy by half. In effect, this meant a six month saving of Levy for construction businesses and was welcomed by the NFB. However, the CITB also announced that it would be severely cutting its funding provision to businesses and delaying the Consensus vote by up to two years.
POLICY POSITION: Levy Consensus
The NFB has been highly critical of the CITB’s decision to delay the Consensus process and repeated these concerns directly to the CITB during the meeting. The NFB’s position is that while it is now recognised that Consensus will not now go ahead this year, it should go ahead next year instead.
The NFB believes that as the CITB is due to publish a new strategic plan covering April 21-23 and a new business plan covering April 21-22, and that the Levy rate may change in the following year, the CITB should put its plans and Levy proposals to a full and meaningful Consensus vote in 2021. The CITB was not able to make such a commitment, and reasoned that it would only be appropriate to seek another one year Levy Order from the Government next year (covering 2022-23). The CITB did register the NFB’s objections to this proposal and the NFB made clear it will campaign for Consensus next year – whether a one or more year Levy Order is sought from Government.