Headline: Manufacturing crisis worsens under National
Manufacturers are closing their doors and manufactured exports are plummeting while National obsesses over its failed asset sales and oil pipedreams
New figures showing a net decrease in manufacturing companies of nearly one per day, along with statistics showing that manufactured exports have reached a seven-year low, highlight the ongoing crisis in manufacturing, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.
Statistics New Zealand’s Business Demography Survey, released today, shows that manufacturing enterprise deaths exceeded births by 315 in the past year, the worst decrease since the depth of the Global Financial Crisis. The net decrease has been 1,705 in the past five years. This equates to a net loss of nearly one manufacturing business per day under National. Statistics New Zealand Overseas Merchandise Trade figures released late last week show that annual manufactured exports fell 9% in the September year to their lowest level since 2006.
“Manufacturers are closing their doors and manufactured exports are plummeting while National obsesses over its failed asset sales and oil pipedreams,” said Dr Norman.
“Under National, manufacturers are dying at a rate of one per day and manufactured exports have fallen by 9% in the last year alone.
“If New Zealand is to be a prosperous country, we need our manufacturers. They add value to our raw commodities and earn much-needed export dollars. Smart manufacturing is at the heart of building a greener economy.
“The National Government is fixated on its failed asset sales programme and its oil pipedreams, and is ignoring the crisis in manufacturing while real Kiwi workers are losing their jobs. It’s time for a government that will face our real economic issues, rather than pursuing an ideological privatisation agenda.
“Our Manufacturing Inquiry Report lays out a set of practical, proven steps to support manufacturing. Top of the list is policies to lower the exchange rate, having the government buy Kiwi-made whenever possible, and investing in research and development,” said Dr Norman.
Additional information:
Business Demography Survey – Manufacturing Enterprise figures
|
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
Total |
|
|
Births |
1,788 |
1,507 |
1,513 |
1,477 |
1,451 |
7,736 |
|
Deaths |
2,079 |
2,037 |
1,800 |
1,759 |
1,766 |
9,441 |
|
Net |
-291 |
-530 |
-287 |
-282 |
-315 |
-1,705 |
Manufactured Exports table sourced from Overseas Merchandise Trade series
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