3 TRAINING
VIEWPOINT
fit & SEMINARS APRIL 2012
this be taken out when forming strategy for the 2012 budget?
Richard Hay CEO, Southland Chamber Of Commerce
2012 Budget should focus squarely on growing exports. The Minister of Finance has announced that Budget 2012 will be delivered on 24 May 2012. Comments on the budget policy statement reveal the number one priority for the next three years is getting back to surplus. The PM maintains that NZ Inc. is still on track to be in surplus by 2014-2015 although he says it will be a smaller surplus, the predicted $1.5 billion now re-adjusted to $3.7 million … mmm, bit of a difference there John! The return to surplus must rightly be a priority and there must be robust strategies around both internal and external spend both by Government and the private sector coupled with selling our goods to export to balance those books. National savings seems to be improving which is helping somewhat to borrowing a little less off shore and the Government is sure whipping the cat in reducing government spending and restructuring. There is a strong reliance that the Christchurch rebuild is going to bring in a lot of offshore insurance money which will assist by adding an estimated one and a quarter percentage points to our GDP for the next five years, a big chunk of the three percent growth that’s expected. I wonder where we would get this amount of financial stimulus into the economy from if the earthquake had not happened, so should
The second priority is to increase the competitiveness of our economy. It is encouraging to see that, unlike last year’s strategy, this has taken on a priority status. We need some extended focus squarely on growing export values and volumes in new areas. Not an easy task when it appears the NZD is going to stay relatively high and in the 80 cent plus range. Until we shift our national economic focus on to programmes to diversify and grow the economy – make the pie bigger – New Zealand’s businesses, exporting and growth record of recent decades will continue to stutter along, with the result that the economy as a whole will continue to struggle even as the world moves out of recession. Statistics show that less than three percent of New Zealand’s businesses are regular exporters. Just three percent, even though business is the engine room of the New Zealand economy, the overwhelming majority – around 95 percent – turnover less than $5 million a year and fewer than 13,000 are involved in exporting.
Introduction to Employment Law Category: Employment Law & Human Resources 17 April | 1.00am – 4.30pm Accident/Incident Investigation Category: Health & Safety 30 April | 9.00am – 1.00pm MAY 2012 Bullying in the Workplace Category: Employment Law & Human Resources 07 May | 1.00pm – 4.30pm Assertiveness Skills Training Category: Personal Development & Communication 08 May | 9.00am – 12.30pm Health & Safety Responsibilities for Managers Category: Health & Safety 22 May | 9.00am – 1.00pm Health & Safety Representative Training - Stage 2 Category: Health & Safety 23-24 May | 8.30am – 4.30pm For more information and costs of these courses contact the Southland Chamber of Commerce. 03 218 7188 www.commercesouth.com > Training
Fonterra provides 25 percent of New Zealand's exports; around 390 other businesses account for a further 60 percent of New Zealand's exports and the remaining 15 percent is shared between around 12,500 companies, with most exporting less than $50,000 worth each year.
It is obvious the targets of the past are wrong. They simply do not connect with businesses or motivate New Zealanders generally. Continued on page 14
This is the fragile picture, despite an Export Year campaign a couple of years ago, and despite targets for growth such as getting New Zealand back into the top half of the OECD or economic parity with Australia by 2025.
What's on the horizon? Wednesday 4th april Optimise the profit in your business Wednesday 2nd May Payroll - Creating a better understanding & keeping up with legislation Wednesday 6th June Investments 101 - One day I intend to have cash, how will I make it work for me?
Wednesday 4th July Creating great systems & procedures for effective running of your business Wednesday 1st august Life on a Cloud - Cloud business solutions Wednesday 5th september Safety in the workplace & reducing ACC levies
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