Wellington, May 26 NZPA - The wish list and suggestions is growing ahead of the National Government's first budget on Thursday.

Sector groups ranging from teachers through to exporters have been keen to offer advice to Finance Minister Bill English, despite the ink long being dry on the budget documents.

New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association chief executive John Walley called today for fundamental changes to the tax system to stop business activity getting taxed over non-productive assets.

Others to make requests today were:

* The education sector union NZEI, wanting an increase in schools' operational grants and pay rises for school support staff;

* Labour's tourism spokesman Kelvin Davis, wanting more spent on the sector through promotion funding;

* Business consultancy firm KPMG, suggesting a raft of changes including encouragement of private sector funding for infrastructure and the flattening of tax rates overtime.

NZPA