Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Minister of Finance): The manufacturing sector is continuing to support the economy. Statistics New Zealand reported last week that manufacturing sales jumped 12 percent in the December quarter compared with the previous September quarter, as restrictions related to the Delta outbreak were eased. Stats New Zealand said this marked an all-time high for the industry since data collection began in June 1992. Manufacturing activity has remained resilient in 2022, and, on Friday, the seasonally adjusted BNZ BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index for February rose 1.3 points to 53.6. A reading above 50 indicates that manufacturing is generally expanding; while below 50, that it is declining. The long-term average is 53.1. New orders and production rose, while employment moved back into expansion. BusinessNZ called the result positive, but cautioned that the spread of Omicron could still affect business plans in coming months.