BusinessNZ welcomes changes to work visas as a step in the right direction, says BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich. “Removing the requirement to pay the median wage will help relieve cost pressures and distortions that this rule created in the labour market, with international workers commanding a premium over their...
BusinessNZ congratulates the Government and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown on planned local government reform. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said the Government’s agreement to change the purpose of the Local Government Act, from the current ‘four well-beings’ purpose, to one focused on delivering basic infrastructure and services, has not...
2024 is drawing to a close and BusinessNZ’s advocacy is bearing fruit. We’ve worked in support of optimal settings for financial growth, consensus on infrastructure, better overseas investment policies, less red tape, careful management of ACC, improved employment relations regulation and many other issues important to business. We bring you...
The BusinessNZ Planning Forecast for the December quarter shows only modest growth on the cards for New Zealand’s economy in 2025. BusinessNZ Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says after a tough year in business, there are still reasons to be optimistic. “The end of 2024 looks like a bit of...
There is much to celebrate in NZ’s environment for business. Work has begun on a Regulatory Standards Bill to improve the quality of regulation on the business sector – something our members have been seeking for a long time. And the recent agreement across political parties on infrastructure provision is...
BusinessNZ endorses the start of work towards a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. The Bill aims to improve the quality of regulation, reducing the compliance burden on New Zealanders and boosting productivity. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich says businesses will be heartened by the work. “Our members have consistently called for...
BusinessNZ congratulates the National, Labour and ACT parties for their shared endorsement of an updated framework for public private partnerships. The New Zealand PPP Framework Blueprint for Future Transactions sets out New Zealand’s future approach to PPP infrastructure projects, based on learnings from past projects, with updated requirements relating to...
Ongoing challenges to NZ businesses – especially small businesses – are highlighted in recent Reserve Bank and Treasury updates. Meanwhile, moves to reduce red tape, update health & safety rules, and get better payment times from government agencies will be applauded by small businesses. From the policy desk we include...
Small businesses will welcome the Government’s firm direction to government agencies to pay their bills on time, BusinessNZ says. Chief Executive Katherine Rich says many businesses supply goods and services to government agencies and can experience hardship from late payment times. “Businesses can look forward to their invoices being paid...
I’m delighted to see the Government taking note of BusinessNZ’s advocacy on overseas investment with its decision this week to start building a more welcoming environment for investors. Today’s AdvocacyUpdate considers ACC’s $7 billion deficit which will impact all business levy-payers; and endorses anti-money laundering rules being made easier for...