Finance secretary Derek Mackay has been urged to halve the business supplement rate in his first budget.

A group of business leaders consisting of 13 organisations including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) wants the supplement large firms pay in their non-domestic rates to be reduced from 2.6p in the pound to 1.3p.

The Scottish Government raised the rate to 2.6p earlier this year but it stayed the same in the rest of the UK.

In a letter to the finance secretary, the business leaders said: "This supplement affects one out of every eight commercial premises in Scotland and is expected to add a further £62m to these businesses rates bills in the current year.

"Reducing the surcharge to the level which applies in England would not only be fair and make Scotland's business rates more competitive, but would also help to reduce the cost base of many hard-pressed businesses at this time of economic uncertainty."

A review of business rates on behalf of the Scottish Government is currently under way.

The Scottish Conservatives shadow finance secretary Dean Lockhart said: "This joint letter acts as a reminder that the SNP must now start to heed warnings that Scotland is becoming the least competitive part of the UK to do business.

"The doubling of a large business supplement was an action the Scottish Conservatives opposed during the budget and its impact is beginning to be seen right across Scotland as small businesses become trapped in its net.

"It is blatantly unfair that firms in Scotland should pay more in tax than their competitors across the rest of the UK, and it's remarkable the SNP can't recognise this."

In response to the letter, a Scottish Government spokesperson said it would "closely consider" its business rates ahead of the 2017 budget.

The spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government is determined to maintain competitive business rates and our small business bonus has already delivered over £1bn in savings for smaller firms.

"Finance secretary Derek Mackay will also meet business representatives to discuss economic recovery further.

"We have also commenced an external review to engage with business and explore how rates can better reflect economic conditions and support growth.

"However, our efforts risk being undermined by the UK Government's austerity policies and the current lack of action seen since the EU referendum.

The spokesperson added: "The austerity budget handed to Scotland by the UK Government has meant that those paying the large business supplement have a sustainable increase of 3.4% to their rates bill this year, helping to fund local services that support economic development.

"We will closely consider our business rates policies for 2017 to ensure competitiveness in light of the revaluation and indeed have already pledged to expand the Small Business Bonus Scheme from next year so that it lifts 100,000 properties out of rates altogether."