I read with interest the Bay of Plenty's latest productivity statistics are at 5.2 per cent of our national GDP. This is a figure not much changed of recent times. The problem is we've got 6.2 per cent of the country's population. It doesn't sound much but that's a 19 per cent gap.

That means we're under-delivering, both as individuals and as a region. And that means there's either too many old people, too many unemployed people, or too many pregnant teenagers. Or probably all three.

G Martin, Otumoetai.