Other C.E.R. links wanted

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 7

Other C.E.R. links wanted

PA Dunedin New Zealand should study the development of closer economic relationships with countries such as Japan, Canada, and the United States, said the chairman of the Manufacturing Development Council, Mr G. W. T. Christie.

He said such an arrangement should be sought only after the settling down of C.E.R. with Australia. Mr Christie was about to leave for Japan where he will present two papers, including one on C.E.R., to the Japan-New Zealand businessmen’s conference next week. He is representing the Manufacturers’ Federation of which he is immediate past president.

“New Zealand has got a number of important areas for development that we can look at. We have got to look carefully at the sorts of resources that we have here — such as cheap electricity — and link it into a major manufacturing type of operation,” said Mr Christie.

One possibility was increased processing of forestry products, particularly high-quality timber production, he said.

He said a C.E.R. arrangement with Japan is very possible. “New Zealand has got to become more closely associated with those countries with similar standards of living. When we have taken aboard the C.E.R. with Australia and adjusted to that.

we have got to look further down the track. Where do we go with third countries, for example?”

A closer economic relationship with Japan, Canada, or the United States could make a lot of sense.

“The one thing we have not got is capital. We need investment capital to correctly develop our resources and make better use of the skills we have,” he said.

Mr Christie was particularly interested in further joint ventures in manufacturing industries using foreign, investment capital and marketing skills for high-quality New Zealand-made products.