4 December 2008
MEDIA STATEMENT
Immediate Release
Improving New Zealand’s economic growth performance: Treasury BIM released
The Treasury Briefing to the Incoming Minister released today is focussed on the longer-term performance of New
Zealand’s economy.
“This document purposefully looks past the immediate financial and economic issues impacting on New Zealand and
discusses what is required to lift the country’s economic performance and raise living standards over the medium to long
term,” Treasury Secretary John Whitehead said.
“We believe that the emphasis we have put on improving productivity growth through measures such as tax and regulation
reform, raising skills and innovation levels, better international connectedness, fiscal management and public sector
performance are required to address the challenges New Zealand will face over time through an increasingly integrated
world, on-going technology changes and domestic resource and demographic pressures.
“Clearly we are always measuring and assessing what is happening in the economy short-term, and we are advising the
Government on the impacts of world financial and economic instability and their response to that. As the Minister of
Finance noted today, that advice will be released in due course. Our latest forecasts will be released in the December
Economic and Fiscal Update with the Budget Policy Statement.
“I am also planning to speak about our updated view of the current situation before the release of the BPS later this
month.”
ENDS