Carrier Bag Charges The New Welsh Assembly Stimulus Package - A new window of opportunity for the Welsh Economy.

Regardless of the challenging economic climate the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has designed an all new stimulus package (The carrier bag stimulus plan) for the welsh economy.

Very soon businesses can expect to receive a percentage increase in sales through adding a minimum of 7p to potentially every sale - How does this sound?

So, lets say for example you are a chip shop in Pontypridd. You serve 2,000 take away orders and 50% of these require a carrier bag, hang on I need a calculator........ ok, £70 extra per week, so that's approx £3600 extra in carrier bag sales per year. Not bad I hear you say. BUT........

What about the consumer? and what about the Local Independant store? is it now being stated that as well as having to pay in excess of £2 per visit for our car parks in Pontypridd that we will now also have to fork out an extra £1 on average on carrier bags per visit to town?

Is this yet another way to deter local shoppers from our high streets? I mean are more people really going to stop using the throw aways? Surely local government recycling schemes raise awareness to these issues anyway.

Further more, what about the marketing campaign for this, a projected 1/4 million pounds on a carrier bag awareness campaign - woo hoo! A repeat of the FREE Bus in Cardiff that has worked out to be a near on failure.

And we thought that the WAG had the best interests of the local communities at heart. Are we lacking a solid business acrumen at the WAG? have they lost their minds?

Hey, can you imagine being arrested for not charging a customer 7p!? Because lets be real are all local shop owners really going to charge?

So, ok I understand the theory of the environmental impact, but we are all more than capable of buying our own 'bags for life' etc - this change is allready happening - are the WAG just jumping on the wave?

Far too many questions here, but quite simply:

 Carrier Bag Charges!! How ridiculous... but a good economic stimulus plan!