The draft inquiry report by the New Zealand Productivity Commission on the international freight transport services raises some useful and sensible recommendations to improve the productivity of New Zealand’s international freight, says BusinessNZ.

Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly says the productivity of international freight services is highly significant for New Zealand.

“Around 30 percent of our GDP is generated from the exports of goods and services, so freight services productivity can impact on the productivity of a substantial number of New Zealand enterprises.

“BusinessNZ strongly agrees that councils should carefully consider what their ownership objectives are and how these objectives are best pursued. These are central to the performance of organisations.

“The draft report makes some useful suggestions for improving the governance of ports and airports, which are worthy of careful consideration.

“Also of particular note are the recommendations around improving employee relations to promote better trust, shared values and outcomes, and more productive workplaces.

“BusinessNZ considers the Productivity Commission’s draft recommendations worthy of active consideration by the Government and port stakeholders.”