Companies need a risk mitigation and management approach to the border to enable skilled workers, customers and investors to come to New Zealand, BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope says.
BusinessNZ's Border Survey, released this week, shows companies are being hamstrung by project delays and lost business opportunities due to the closed border and the lack of incoming international skills and talent.
Some 87 per cent of companies had a reliance on international workers, and half of the respondents said international workers were critical to their business being able to operate productively.
Meanwhile, 61 per cent of respondents noted the border closure was making it difficult to retain international workers, with stress about pending visa expiries and stand-downs, and family separation of international workers in New Zealand noted as key concerns.
Kirk says the findings highlight how dependent businesses and their New Zealand workers are on effective and responsive border decisions to enable them to obtain relevant skills that aren’t available in New Zealand.
"We need to continue to iterate and adapt on the border and utilise the great expertise and global networks of New Zealand firms to work with Government on the next steps.
"Nobody is arguing for a wholesale opening of the border. The Government needs to continue to work to develop and manage the border in a way that keeps New Zealanders safe from COVID-19 while ensuring that the strong economic rebound we have seen continues by truly having the world's smartest border."
