Mr Salmond was meeting business people at Discovery Point to launch the party’s economic proposals in advance of the general election expected in May.

The plans include three specific targets — to put Scotland among the 15 most competitive countries in the world; to match the average 4% growth rate of small European nations; and to increase the population by 3% over the next decade.

Mr Salmond said, “The SNP is determined to see Scotland flourish and our blueprint for success is the only economic policy designed in Scotland and for Scotland.

“Over the past 10 years, Scotland’s economy has fallen behind other similar countries. The impact is felt in the number of Scots who have left or will soon leave to find jobs and economic opportunity elsewhere.”

He said the Government’s own figures suggested the population could fall by half-a-million over the next 40 years. That was equivalent to losing a town the size of Carnoustie ever year.

The SNP is proposing to put in place an immigration policy that welcomes “new Scots” and encourages ex-patriates to move home. The long-term aim is to increase the population by 150,000 — more than the population of Dundee.

The party also wants to make Scotland an attractive place for business by cutting corporation tax to 20%, lowering business rates to below the English level and cutting red tape. Scottish Enterprise would be refocused on its core duties of attracting inward investment and helping exporters.

A Scottish trust for public investment would be created to fund infrastructure development, with an emphasis on improving transport links, and a fuel regulator would be created to lessen the impact of rising fuel prices.

The party also wants to see some oil revenue used to create a fund to benefit future generations.

Mr Salmond said, “With at least a trillion dollars worth of oil left in the Scottish sector of the North Sea, there is plenty to fuel future economic success, but only if Scotland’s parliament and not the London exchequer is in control.

“We will equip Scotland with a competitive tax policy so we can attract business headquarters to Scotland and stem the outflow of talent. Corporation tax at 20% would be pitched substantially below UK levels, giving us a crucial advantage.

“If Scotland matches the success of similar European nations, instead of slipping behind as a neglected corner of the UK, it will mean 200,000 more jobs, £8 billion more to spend on public services and a boost to the economy worth £4000 per person. This is the SNP independence bonus and is what we can start to achieve with SNP victories in May.”

He said a recent report showing one third of Dundee children were growing up in households without a wage earner indicated the scale of the challenge.

The Nationalists have five MPs at Westminster, including Annabelle Ewing (Perth), Mike Weir (Angus) and Pete Wishart (North Tayside).