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Senior business leaders have signed an open letter to Prime Minister John Key in support of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations which get underway again in Auckland today. See – TPP – Open Letter
The TPP negotiations have been under attack within New Zealand over their lack of transparency, sovereignty concerns and impact on intellectual property platforms.
But the business leaders say TPP is a “work in progress”and caution that judgment about the final outcome needs to be withheld until negotiators have finished their work. “Our aim in writing is to endorse the effort now underway and to outline our conviction that this effort should continue in the interests of building a more prosperous and sustainable Asia Pacific region and of ensuring that business can play its full part in the region’s continuing recovery and future economic growth.
“We stand ready to assist negotiators in this effort and to participate with other members of civil society in a dialogue about how TPP can contribute to what is best for our country, its people and the people of the wider region to which we belong.”
The letter goes on to note that the negotiation poses challenges for New Zealand policy settings in a number of area – as with other participating economies.
“We have confidence that Trade Minister Groser and his officials will seek solutions which meet New Zealand’s national interests. We note that the treaty ratification process requires there to be consultation on the negotiated outcome before its adoption by Parliament.
“We see great advantages for New Zealand arising from a future agreement that is high quality, comprehensive and ambitious, one that eliminates trade barriers, lowers the cost of doing business and makes improvements to the way regional supply chains can link producers and consumers in the region. In particular we see value from an effort to create an agreement which meets business and wider needs and reflects the way business is being done today and will be done in the future. This will assist economic growth and job creation in New Zealand.”