« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
"Scotland has real strength in the most vital factor for modern economies - the human capital offered by our greatest asset, Scotland's people. We need to build on this strength and, importantly, make more of it in broadening Scotland's comparative advantage in the global economy."
First Minister
This Government Economic Strategy sets out how we will support businesses and individuals and how, together, we can deliver the following Purpose:
to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.
By sustainable economic growth we mean building a dynamic and growing economy that will provide prosperity and opportunities for all, while ensuring that future generations can enjoy a better quality of life too.
This Strategy will be given momentum by the challenging targets that we have set to track progress in boosting Scotland's growth, productivity, population and participation, and in delivering on the desired characteristics of growth - solidarity, cohesion and sustainability.
Over the last thirty years, Scotland's annual average GDP growth was well below that of comparable small European countries and significantly below the UK average. We are now setting a new level of ambition and a sharper aspiration for the future. Our immediate growth target is to raise Scotland's GDP growth rate to the UK level by 2011.
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
In order to deliver increasing sustainable economic growth, the Strategy identifies five Strategic Priorities that are internationally recognised to be critical to economic growth.
Learning, Skills and Well-being. The key strategic approaches which we will pursue in relation to this Strategic Priority include:
- A focus on giving every child a strong start in life;
- A focus on school education enabling all our young people to succeed and gain the skills they will require as individuals and to contribute to the wider economy;
- A supply of education and skills which is responsive to, and aligned with, actions to boost demand;
- An approach to health and well-being that ensures all Scots enjoy the right level of physical and mental health to give them the opportunity to maximise their potential; and
- The creation of the conditions for talented people to live, work and remain in Scotland.
Supportive Business Environment. The key strategic approaches which we will pursue in relation to this Strategic Priority include:
- Responsive and focused enterprise support to increase the number of highly successful, competitive businesses;
- Targeted support to business in the pursuit of opportunities outside of Scotland and the development of internationally competitive firms;
- A broader approach to business innovation in Scotland that moves beyond viewing innovation as the domain of science and technology alone;
- A clear focus on strengthening the link between Scotland's research base and business innovation and addressing low levels of business R&D;
- A particular policy focus on a number of key sectors with high growth potential and the capacity to boost productivity; and
- A competitive tax regime which incentivises business growth and attracts mobile factors of production.
Infrastructure Development and Place. The key strategic approaches which we will pursue in relation to this Strategic Priority include:
- To focus investment on making connections across and with Scotland better, improving reliability and journey times, seeking to maximise the opportunities for employment, business, leisure and tourism;
- To provide sustainable, integrated and cost-effective public transport alternatives to the car, connecting people, places and work across Scotland; and
- A planning and development regime which is joined up, and combines greater certainty and speed of decision making within a framework geared towards achieving good quality sustainable places and sustainable economic growth.
Effective Government. The key strategic approaches which we will pursue in relation to this Strategic Priority include:
- More effective government with a clear focus on achieving higher levels of sustainable economic growth through the delivery of the Government's Purpose and Strategic Objectives; and
- Streamlining the Scottish Government's direct dealings with business, including better regulation and more efficient procurement practices.
Equity. The key strategic approaches which we will pursue in relation to this Strategic Priority include:
- To provide the opportunities - and incentives - for all to contribute to Scotland's sustainable economic growth;
- To accord greater priority to achieving more balanced growth across Scotland, to give all across Scotland the chance to succeed; and
- To promote economic growth and environmental quality and responsibility as mutually advancing.
IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation of the Strategy will be driven across the public sector and supported by the new arrangements within the Scottish Government to provide a clear focus on the delivery of the Purpose. Financial and other resources will be aligned to ensure that policy development and spending programmes are sharply focused on the delivery of the Purpose
The Government will be held to account through assessing achievement of the measurable economic targets set out in this Strategy.
« Previous | Contents | Next »