Export Year Gives Boost to BOP Exporters
new-zealand-first-party
Fri Jun 08 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Export Year Gives Boost to BOP Exporters
Friday, 8 June 2007, 3:39 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party
Export Year Gives Boost To Bay Of Plenty Exporters
Bay of Plenty exporters will soon have added support with the recent appointment of an Export Facilitator as part of the Bay of Plenty's Export Year 2007 regional programme, says New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters.
"This initiative has been created by business organisations in the Bay of Plenty to specifically help meet the needs of exporters in the region. Export Year 2007 is supporting similar pilot projects throughout New Zealand," said Mr Peters.
The Export Facilitator will visit targeted companies in the greater Bay of Plenty area that have good export potential and help them access appropriate exporter education, resources and assistance schemes. They will work on behalf of a consortium of Bay of Plenty industry organisations including the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, Export New Zealand, Tauranga Economic Development Association, Tourism Bay of Plenty, Food Bay of Plenty and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
"The Export Facilitator position is just one initiative from the plan which was designed to identify priorities and target solutions for enhancing export growth among small-to-medium enterprises in the region. The Bay of Plenty Export Year 2007 team will also develop a regional website containing information about local exporters, export resources and links, and education for companies looking to grow their businesses globally.
"It is pleasing to see such a wide variety of business organisations and economic development agencies working together to embrace Export Year 2007 objectives and improve their regional economic performance.
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"Small-to-medium sized enterprises are at the heart of Export Year 2007. There are more than 340,000 SMEs in New Zealand but only 12,700 of them export. We need to increase the number and quality of these companies operating globally if we are to improve New Zealand's economic performance.
"Other regional plan initiatives build on existing programmes and frameworks such as Exporter Education, New Thinking Exporter Breakfasts, market and issue focused seminars, and expanding existing exporter capability and networks," Mr Peters said.
About Export Year 2007
Increasing New Zealand's sustainable export base by making our firms stronger, more resilient and more capable will strengthen the foundations for long term export growth – ensuring New Zealand continues to compete and thrive in global markets.
Export Year 2007 aims to improve our long term export performance by supporting both new and existing exporters and encouraging businesses to globalise their operations. Export Year 2007 is a joint initiative between the Government, NZ First and the private sector.
Initiatives by both the Government and private-sector organisations to help exporters include:
* an additional $33.7 million for market development grants announced at the start of Export Year, and Budget 2007 allocation of an extra $87.8 million over four years to help exporters break into offshore markets;
* expansion of NZTE's Path to Market programme that supports export-ready companies fast track their entry to specific markets;
* launch of Thinking Globally teaching resources in primary and secondary schools;
* a pilot of the internationally accredited Certificate and Diploma in International Trade;
* revision and expansion of content in the Exporter Education Programme;
* a pilot programme to help up to 60 firms in the Wellington region work together, obtain finance, learn about intellectual property issues, and access international contacts;
* support for The ICEHOUSE's ICE Global programme to help grow established exporters;
* publication of the Export Perspectives position paper by Business New Zealand;
* an ongoing series of very popular breakfast events hosted by Export New Zealand and NZTE, where exporters get informal training, learn from each other, and network;
* support for Business Mentors NZ to recruit 100 additional mentors with export experience and train all mentors with export-related material;
* a major focus on exporting at business conferences and seminars run by both government agencies and private sector organisations;
* South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce's launch of an Export Cluster that will work with local businesses and organisations to support their export efforts;
* aggregation of online training courses, online assessments, exporter news, market information and other resources and tools at the www.exportyear.co.nz website;
* Budget 2007: a new contract bonding product for NZ firms bidding for US Federal or State contracts;
* Budget 2007 extension of NZTE's Beachheads programme into China and India;
* Budget 2007 allocation of $19.4 million to increase NZTE's in-market assistance for NZ firms in China, India and Japan;
* Budget 2007 funding to expand Kea – New Zealand's global talent network;
* Budget 2007 $3.4 billion worth of business tax reforms, including a cut in the company tax rate cut to 30 per cent from 1 April next year, tax credits for research and development, and tax exemptions for active income earned by NZ controlled companies in overseas markets.
ENDS
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