Hi-tech sector at the heart of Govt’s grand Kiwi plan

The government’s Business Growth Agenda aims to deliver greater business investment, more jobs and higher wages for New Zealanders, focused around innovation in the hi-tech market.

The Business Growth Agenda – Future Direction 2014 report outlines progress the National Government has made in creating the conditions for businesses to invest for jobs and growth.

Revealed by Finance Minister Bill English and Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce, the report also outlines the government’s future priorities in its work programme focusing on the six inputs businesses need to succeed and grow.

They are: exports markets, capital markets, innovation, skilled and safe workplaces, natural resources and infrastructure.

“The Business Growth Agenda is making a real difference to productivity and competitiveness which is critical to creating more business opportunities, more jobs and higher wages for New Zealanders,” English says.

“More than half of the 350 BGA actions across the six areas are either complete or in the implementation phase.

“Our results so far are reflected in strong growth, increasing employment, an improved trade balance, stronger productivity growth, and real wages rising faster than the cost of living.

“This growth has been driven initially by the regions which have led New Zealand out of the global financial crisis on the back of our natural resources industries.”

Joyce says the BGA Future Directions 2014 report outlines the government’s next steps to encourage a diverse range of businesses to succeed and hire more people.

“Building on the progress we have made, our focus now is on a smaller number of 62 key priorities we see as essential to further fostering business confidence and growth,” he says.

“We will work to help more Kiwi firms internationalise and sell their products in overseas markets; encourage innovation particularly in the hi-tech sector, make it easier to raise capital; lift young people’s achievement; make workplaces safer; and continue to invest in quality public infrastructure.

“The New Zealand economy is expected to grow strongly over the next year and perform better than many other major advanced economies.

“What the Government is very focused on through the Business Growth Agenda is how we convert a couple of years of good growth into a sustained economic lift in our economic performance that benefits the country in the long-term.

“New Zealand faces stiff competition in global markets to sell our goods and services.

“If the Opposition was serious about jobs and growth in our regions they would support the initiatives in the BGA instead of promoting policies that would reduce our competitiveness and export Kiwi businesses and jobs overseas.

“New Zealanders can be assured that National is focused on building a more competitive and productive economy that boosts investment, and creates more jobs and higher wages.”