NB 101
Feb. 5, 2002
MONCTON
(CNB) - A comprehensive strategic framework aimed at economic and social prosperity
was unveiled today by Premier Bernard Lord. Greater Opportunity: New Brunswick's
Prosperity Plan, 2002-2012 is a 10-year strategy which focuses on the economic
fundamentals of innovation, productivity, and export orientation - determinants
of success in today's knowledge-based economy.
Premier Bernard Lord. Video- Quicktime Movie(1) (2) Microsoft ASF(1) (2), Audio - Quicktime (1) (2) (3) - (more audio/video)
"Greater Opportunity seeks no less than the economic transformation of New Brunswick into a leading regional, national, and international economy that creates new, lasting jobs for people," Lord said. "We will accomplish this by setting bold targets for our province, and ensuring New Brunswick is competitive in today's global economy."
These 10-year targets are:
$ New Brunswick will increase real GDP per capita by 10 percentage points to meet or exceed 85 per cent of Canadian average by 2012. This indicates New Brunswick has a strong and growing economy.
$ New Brunswick will increase its employment per working age population ratio by five percentage points to reach or exceed 95 per cent of Canadian average by 2012. This indicates more job opportunities are available to New Brunswickers.
$ New Brunswick will increase its real personal income per capita by seven percentage points to reach or exceed 93 per cent of Canadian average by 2012. This indicates New Brunswickers have an improved standard of living.
$ New Brunswick will join the top four provinces in research and development expenditures per capita by 2012. This indicates New Brunswick has a stronger innovation capacity.
$ New Brunswick will improve its labour productivity by 10 percentage points to reach or exceed 90 per cent of the Canadian average by 2012. This indicates New Brunswick has an increasingly skilled and productive workforce.
$ New Brunswick will increase its percentage of exporting firms from 45 per cent to 55 per cent and the proportion of its non-resource-based exports from 29 per cent to 40 per cent of total exports by 2012. This indicates New Brunswick has a more diversified and export-oriented economy.
"Our
aim is to turn New Brunswick into Canada's magnet for investment and North America's
gateway for trade," Lord said. "These targets will challenge us all, and we
are committed to meet them to move our province forward, further and faster
than ever before."
This plan has been formed on four main building blocks: Investing in People, Creating a Competitive Fiscal and Business Environment, Embracing Innovation, and Building Strategic Infrastructure.
Each building block has four cornerstones, or priority areas that will be undertaken in each category with specific actions, programs, and progress indicators, which will measure success. More than 60 action priorities are identified already to put this plan into action.
The province will implement these actions through three implementation strategies integrated across the four building blocks. These are: Economic Diversification and Clustering, Community Economic Development and Strategic Partnerships with government, business, universities and community colleges, workers, and communities.
"This is a bold plan designed to focus our efforts, mobilize our resources and to work with all partners to maximize our competitive advantages," Lord said. "The framework we have set out today will help us to achieve lasting prosperity for New Brunswick and greater opportunity for New Brunswickers."
The report can be found online at: http://www.gnb.ca/0089/.
02/02/05
MEDIA CONTACTS: Amanda Harpelle or Étienne Allard, communications, Office of the Premier, 506-453-2144.
02/02/05