Business mentor: How to make economy thrive

I'm a small business owner. I make a real contribution to the economy in employing 14 people. There are organisations out there lobbying on my behalf to ensure the business environment is as good as it could be. Can you tell me the big issues these lobbyists are focused on?

Small business sector specialist Sarah Trotman asked Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly for answers:

Business NZ focuses on policies that would help the country prosper and grow. Here, in a nutshell, are the seven big issues that would do more than any other to help the economy grow:

Infrastructure:

Well-maintained roads, railway track, ports, airports, power plant and cabling; the assets that make it possible to travel, communicate and work.

What we need:
* The Resource Management Act improved to reduce delays.

* All petrol tax spent on roads, not other uses.

* Changes to the Land Transport Act to give roads higher priority.

* Privatisation of state-owned generators to get more competition and lower electricity prices.

A business-friendly environment:

Positive attitudes to wealth creation and legislation consistent with business growth.

What we need:
* Lower compliance costs.

* Government out of private enterprise - no central or local government enterprises setting up business in competition to private.

* Improvements to the Resource Management Act, Employment Relations Act, Holidays Act, and ACC legislation to reduce constraints and compliance costs.

Sustainability:

Sustainable outcomes for business, community and the environment.
What we need:

* Increased capital investment by business, underpinned by a supportive Government tax and depreciation policy.

Fiscal discipline

Disciplined government spending, making lower tax so companies can invest more.

What we need:
* Government spending a year (including Super Fund assets) below 30 per cent of GDP by 2010.

* Reducing company tax to 30 per cent immediately and 20 per cent later.

* Reduced net Crown debt (including Super Fund assets) to below -5 per cent of GDP by 2010.

Skills and productivity

More skills relevant to dynamic, high-earning industries; continual updating of skills and knowledge; productivity improvement; more skilled, motivated English-speaking immigrants.

What we need:
* Less public money spent on courses with low value to the economy and more on industry training.

* Requirements for schools to achieve minimum levels of literacy and numeracy for all school-leavers.

* Enough immigrants with relevant skills and good English.

Investment, innovation and entrepreneurship:

Firms must invest strategically, innovate constantly and display entrepreneurial spirit.

What we need:
* Greater deductibility for R&D and capital investment.

* Better co-ordination of publicly funded research for commercial use.

Trade:

An open market, continued increased access to foreign markets:

What we need:
* Greater on-the-ground support for exporters in foreign markets, continued work towards bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and a comprehensive WTO agreement.

* Government commitment to policies that would allow a free trade agreement with the US.

* Government commitment to policies that help, not hinder, the competitiveness of NZ companies against overseas companies.