SMEs believe that the government is making it more difficult for them to deal with rapidly rising costs, a new survey shows.
A study, conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), reveals that 90 per cent of small firms feel government policy is making problems such as fuels costs worse.
John Wright, FSB national chairman, said: "All we see is government consulting big business, with small businesses being left out of the loop.
"But small businesses produce over half of UK gross domestic product and it is important that their needs are addressed if we are to get through the current economic difficulties."
Issues such as tax, employment and petrol prices have left many small business owners thinking that their "concerns are not being taken seriously", he added.
Last week, the Forum of Private Business warned that cutbacks at HM Revenue and Customs could make it more difficult for small firms to file their tax returns.
