Business Central Releases 2020 Election Report With A Clear Message To Government

Business Central has released its 2020
Election Report ahead of the upcoming election,
outlining what businesses in Central New Zealand expect from
an incoming government.

The
report sets out seven key focus areas, with the
post-lockdown economy being the central focus of
businesses’ concerns. Business sentiments were drawn from
survey data from both BusinessNZ’s Deloitte-ChapmanTripp
Election Survey and the Central New Zealand Quarterly
Business Confidence Survey conducted by Business Central in
August.

Business Central Chief Executive John Milford
says the region and country are doing it tough at the
moment, and the message to the political parties couldn’t
be clearer – put the economy first.

“It goes without
saying, 2020 has been a difficult year so far for the
majority of the business community, given the economic data
out just this week, it’s going remain that way for some
time.

“There is consensus is that the current
government has done a good job with the health response. It
is clear to us, the next government, regardless of party,
needs to put the same emphasis and energy into the
country’s economic recovery.

“This report and the
other election reports from the BusinessNZ Network will give
parties a good idea of what businesses are thinking about in
the lead up to the election.

“The next government
needs to have a clear, well-thought-out strategy to give
businesses the best chance at recovering. A plan must be put
in place to reopen the borders safely and soon, actively
invest in infrastructure with a return on investment, and
overhaul current barriers to recovery like the
RMA.

“Businesses are also looking beyond the recovery
response and the future of the economy. The next government
needs to look at ways to reduce regulatory burden, be
ambitious about the future of work, and support sustainable
business.

“The Central region needs more consideration
from our political parties. There are plenty of
opportunities and possibilities for growth in our region,
but unlikely to get over the line without much-needed
investment and support.

“In the lead up to the
election, our organisation has engaged with all parts of the
political spectrum on these issues. We will continue to
engage with parties on the key issues over the coming weeks,
and continue to be the voice of Central region businesses
during the next term of government.”

The
Business Central 2020 Election Report can be found
here.

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