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Business leader's tips to spur economic growth

The leader of Finland's heavyweight business lobby organisation the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), Matti Alahuhta, says that Finland needs to get exports moving to drive economic growth. In a discussion on Yle's TV1 on Saturday morning he offered a Top-5 list of measures that need to be taken to spur the economy forward.

Matti Alahuhta Ykkösaamun vieraana 21. helmikuuta.
Matti Alahuhta Image: Yle

This coming week the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) will be publishing its advice on what it believes is required after the April parliamentary elections to shift the nation's economy back into growth mode.

In an Yle discussion programme Saturday morning, Matti Alahuhta, the chairman of the board of the country's leading business owner's organisation, pointed out that historically, the Finnish economy has performed best when its exports have performed well.

With this in mind Alahuhta gave a preview list of what he considers the five most important measures the next government should take: 

1. Cost competitiveness must be restored.

2. Training and research must be very actively developed. The bar should be set high.

3. More stimulation through tax measures. In this respect, the most important move would be to adjust income taxes in order to raise purchasing power. Secondly, entrepreneurship should be encouraged with taxation measures including cancelling a proposed hike in inheritance tax.

4. Public spending should be brought down to a level society can support.

5. The huge number of rules and regulations should be reduced.