Angela McGowan: 'Businesses can only grow and jobs are created when people, goods, energy, water and data move efficiently'
For too long, Northern Ireland has treated infrastructure as a cost to be managed rather than an investment in future prosperity. That mindset has left us with ageing public assets, constrained water infrastructure, housing shortages and a growing gap between what our economy needs and the infrastructure required to support future growth. The consequences are becoming increasingly visible - not just in delayed projects or planning disputes, but in slower economic growth, weaker productivity and reduced quality of life for citizens. The relationship between infrastructure investment and economic growth is one of the most well-established findings in economic policy.
