Fife Chamber of Commerce has called on the next Scottish Government to end the country’s reliance on the public sector.
Chief executive Allan Russell said investment in the private sector is the key to economic growth.
“The forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections come at a crucial time for the Scottish economy,” he said. “Scotland stands at a crossroads. As the recovery strives to achieve momentum, we have the opportunity to place our historic reliance on our public sector to one side and embrace a prosperous future, delivered through a vibrant private sector economy.
“New business and employment opportunities can be fostered but this will require clear vision from government to direct its attentions towards creating the conditions for growth and supporting economic development in Scotland.”
The chamber has launched its pre-election policy document, Going for Growth 2011.
It highlights projects such as the new Forth crossing at Queensferry and Fife Energy Park, Methil, as important factors in the region’s economy.
The chamber said it would do “everything possible” to ensure the bridge was completed no later than 2016 and warned that, without adequate training for apprentices, the energy park could lose out.
“Scotland currently runs the risk of losing investment from such companies as Siemens and Repower due to the shortfalls in our training funding,” said the report.
Mr Russell added, “Fife Chamber believes passionately that local businesses here in the kingdom of Fife have a crucial role to play in powering the recovery in Scotland but we need the support of government to allow us to grow and create the employment and wealth Scotland needs.
“Locally we believe that investing in the infrastructure to support business growth is the vital component of a successful economy and, as part of that, completing the new Forth bridge on time is absolutely vital, not just for Fife but for the whole of the Scottish economy.”