Year Book 2021

Helping local businesses thrive
INTO THE FUTURE
BY BRETT O’RILEY,
EMA Chief Executive
EVEN IN WHAT WE HOPE
is a post-Covid lock
down world, we know
that businesses face
ongoing challenges. And
while there are a couple
of ropes up the cliff to
help you get back on top, we also know
there is a lot coming that is not going to
make that easy.
Many of you reliant on trade with
Australia would have been relieved to
see the trans-Tasman and the Pacific
Islands bubbles opening, not just for
your staff personally and professionally
but your customers too.
Unfortunately, this does not address
the skilled migrant worker issue that
the Bay of Plenty experiences, and skills
shortages remain a significant problem
for businesses big and small.
While immigration policy is developing,
we think it is high time for a much bigger
piece of work – a population strategy. It
is critical to many parts of the economy
and deciding how big we want our
country to be. Where our population
is concentrated drives infrastructure,
housing and health policy. That is what
will prompt deeper thought about what
skills we want in our population and
determine our skills mix for migrants and
consequently our education system.
Training, education, skills, and
immigration are a critical policy mix as
we have a rapidly ageing workforce (in
the top three ageing populations in the
world), which with our declining birth
rate means we are well below what
is required to replenish our working
population.
Along with the big picture issues like
this, there are a huge number of other
policy and legislative changes facing
businesses now and in the coming year.
Coupled with this, the minimum wage
rise to $20 an hour in April 2021 is the
third in a series of increases that have
seen the minimum wage rise more
than 25 per cent in the past three years.
But is raising wages what drives the
productivity which enables businesses in
the Bay of Plenty to grow?
“While immigration policy is
developing, we think it is high time
for a much bigger piece of work – a
population strategy.”
BRETT O’RILEY
It is also only one piece of businessfocused
legislation or policy that is on
the Government’s agenda, and that is
it in a nutshell really. It is the cumulative
effect of this and the other policy and
legislative changes from five extra days
sick leave to Fair Pay Agreements.
While along with the rest of the
BusinessNZ Network we are talking
to Government about these issues
regularly, providing your feedback and
helping shape their response, businesses
simply need a bit of a breather.
You have shown such resilience, but
everyone needs a helping hand and
at a practical level we are here to
support you with expert on-tap advice,
advocacy, events, business services and
learning, so that together we can help
you succeed. The EMA has been doing
just that for 135 years and are here to
support you.
ADVICELINE 0800 300 362
WWW.EMA.CO.NZ
YEARBOOK 2021 | 59