The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the Government to freeze business rates after it was announced that rates will rise by 5% in April 2009. Dr Neil Bentley, the CBI's director of business environment policy, said: "This unnecessary jump in business rates will affect nearly every firm and struggling retailers will be particularly hard hit at a time when they need all the help we can give them."

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http://www.cbi.org.uk