The Jobs Challenge: Our readers' views

An own goal

R. Henderson

Immigration protocols are hindering business development.

For example, we approached a Thai immigrant to help our business develop export opportunities in Asia.

First, a so-called professional New Zealand immigration consultant charged the Thai an exorbitant fee and then presented a false refugee claim to the Immigration Service. We later found that there are many consultants operating this scam in NZ, which has resulted in unsuspecting immigrants being labelled as refugees.

The service declined the immigrant's visa and work permit on the basis of the previous refugee claim, despite the Thai's having established a successful business here and our company guaranteeing the application.

The service demanded that the immigrant leave NZ immediately.

Our experience has shown how difficult it is for genuine immigrants to invest.

The service does not consider applications without evidence of funds being held in New Zealand, but overseas banks tend not to permit funds to be transferred without the immigrant's first obtaining permanent residency.

We have heard of Chinese immigrants divorcing in China, marrying a New Zealander, divorcing again (with the spoils under New Zealand law) once permanent residency is achieved, and then remarrying again.

It seems that it is risky trying to establish business relationships with overseas partners in anticipation that they will also be able to come to NZ legally and genuinely to assist the development of a business.

Winter Olympics

Angie Neale, Adelaide.

New Zealand should bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics at Queenstown or Mt Hutt. They have never been held in the Southern Hemisphere.

It would generate plenty of opportunities and jobs, infrastructure and new technology investment (especially in communications), and be a bonanza promotion for our clean-green, fresh air and safe food, eco-tourism image.

My second suggestion is to get seriously into solving some of the world's problems by thinking outside the square. A few years ago, a South African came up with a wind-up radio/ghetto blaster, because batteries were too expensive for most of the less privileged population, and also posed an environmental hazard.

Brilliant! So why not look into more efficient battery technology and clean power, solar or wind power for developing economies? What better use of foreign aid dollars? So put your thinking caps on and encourage engineering schools to get involved, and come up with a new engine, new fuels, whatever it takes to solve the problem. (But don't get ripped off under US patent laws.)

Skills already here

K. Jayampathi, Auckland.

There has been a lot of talk about the brain drain, but nobody mentions the under-utilisation of the brains which are already here - skilled migrants who gain their qualifications at no cost to New Zealand but then go to Australia or the US because they feel there is no future for them here.

Since they are not eligible for income support or a student allowance for two years, they must find work immediately, but often employers do not recognise their qualifications or accept their references.

I have three post-graduate degrees in economics and management but I am working as a cleaner in a casino.

Free-trade zone

Stephen LaBrooy

Agriculture and forestry cannot be expected to support a first-world lifestyle, and tourism leaves us dependent on other economies.

Our most precious, and thus far neglected resource, is our talent and our people.

We need to attract huge foreign investment here to provide the kind of employment required not only to keep quality people within our shores but also to provide the kind of export earnings an OECD country requires.

This means the manufacture of high-tech products such as computer chips, CD-ROM drives, aircraft parts and software only for export. It will require tax incentives; possibly a free trade zone where a manufacturer can import raw materials that will be exempt from duties on the strict understanding that the finished product is exported.

It does not take much imagination to consider the economic impact.

Our distance from destination markets is a disadvantage but we have other advantages: political stability, speaking English, respect for the rule of law, and in terms of labour costs we are very competitive with Singapore, who would be our main rival for this sort of investment.

Lower taxes

R. Taylor, Ponsonby.

How about a low personal and company flat tax rate?

Where is the basic logic and fairness in the notion that an individual who earns more should pay a higher proportion in tax?

If everybody got to keep more of the money they earned, wages wouldn't need to be so high and businesses could employ people for less while employees would enjoy an improved standard of living.

Foreign investors would be attracted here and more New Zealanders would go into business, thus creating domestic jobs and much more wealth.

* These letters are abridged

Herald Online feature: The jobs challenge

We invite your responses to a series of questions such as: what key policies would make it easier for unemployed people to move into and generate jobs?