Treasurer flags more work needed to boost productivity

The treasurer has defended the government's decision to push ahead with the phase-out of the tax offset for low- and middle-income earners. Photo: AAP
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has admitted Australia hasnât taken full advantage of big economic shifts, ahead of a new Productivity Commission report.
The Productivity Commissionâs 1000-page inquiry, to be released in full on Friday, will contain 71 suggestions to kickstart Australiaâs sluggish productivity performance thatâs weighing on personal incomes and overall prosperity.
The report will outline ways the economy can deal with climate change, the digital revolution and global tensions while also aiming to grow the wages of working Australians.
Dr Chalmers said not all the recommendations would be implemented, but there was more work to do.
âThereâll be some conflict with our priorities and values, but overwhelmingly, the directions and the themes set out in the report today are areas that weâre interested in and that weâre progressing,â he told ABC Radio on Friday.
âWeâve got these big shifts in our economy, these big trends and transitions. And we havenât taken full advantage of that.â
The report will identify five key trends: the growing services sector, the costs of climate change, the need for a more skilled and adaptable workforce, the growing role of data and digital technology and how economic dynamism is impacted by geopolitical tensions.
The blueprint for future productivity growth will contain suggestions to better harness data and digital technology and improve economic dynamism by âfostering competition, efficiency and contestability in marketsâ.
The report will also outline opportunities to reach net zero emissions while limiting the productivity damage caused by climate change.
Failing to boost Australiaâs economic performance will have dire consequences for future living standards, with workers in the future likely to earn less and work more if productivity doesnât improve.
The treasurer said it was critical for the economy to be made more productive going into the future.
âWe wonât donât want Australians to have to work harder for less money. And one of the reasons why we want to make our economy stronger and more productive is so that we can lift incomes and lift living standards,â he said.
âWe havenât done as good a job as we need to ⌠now, weâve got this massive opportunity when it comes to technological change, weâve got this massive opportunity when it comes to cleaner and cheaper, more reliable and increasingly renewable energy.â
Australia is slipping down the global productivity ranks and growth has reached its slowest point in 60 years, averaging 1.1 per cent a year.
Dr Chalmers said despite concerns about lagging productivity levels in the country, he didnât want Australians to be concerned.
âWhen Australians hear about productivity, and they see headlines about working longer, for less ⌠I do understand that it makes people worried and thatâs not our intention,â he said.
âOur intention is to say, this is what might happen in our economy if we donât do some of the things that weâre doing right across the board.â
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