BusinessNZ says National’s Small Business Plan contains a number of practical measures aimed at addressing the day-to-day compliance, regulatory and administrative pressures that businesses say make it harder to grow, invest and employ. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Katherine Rich said one of the most exciting aspects of the package was National’s...
Treasury’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) confirms that New Zealand is on a pathway back to an operating surplus. But it also reinforces the central message of BusinessNZ’s Election Priorities 2026: New Zealand needs stronger productivity growth, competitive tax settings, investment in infrastructure and skills, and a credible long-term...
BusinessNZ is alarmed at National’s proposal to pursue the separation of supermarket chain Foodstuffs. “New Zealand has long benefited from a reputation for regulatory stability, respect for property rights and predictable policy settings. Measures of this nature risk undermining that reputation at a time when New Zealand needs investment, productivity...
New Zealand businesses want the next Government to keep the economy growing, hold a steady course on tax and finally deliver on long-promised infrastructure, according to the results of the Deloitte and Chapman Tripp Election Survey, released today by BusinessNZ at the Deloitte and Chapman Tripp Election Conference 2026. The survey, now...
BusinessNZ says New Zealand’s economic recovery is gaining real traction – and the country now has a rare opening to put itself on a more competitive international footing for the capital, investment and skilled people every advanced economy is competing for. Releasing its Election Priorities 2026, Building Tomorrow’s Economy, BusinessNZ has...
BusinessNZ has welcomed elements of Labour’s Small Business Action Plan – A Fair Go, saying several measures reflect long-standing BusinessNZ positions, and says today’s announcement should prompt a wider, cross-party conversation about New Zealand’s outdated and unindexed tax settings, includng the case for a lower company tax rate. BusinessNZ has also raised...
BusinessNZ welcomes the passing of the Employment Leave Bill, and says it marks the end of one of the most costly and confusing pieces of workplace law ever forced on employers and workers. The bill repeals and replaces the Holidays Act 2003, moving to a simpler, hours based system where...
Source: BusinessNZ — Given the political, economic, and fiscal constraints facing the New Zealand economy, Budget 2026 is fiscally responsible, BusinessNZ says. Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the Government has approached this year’s Budget with a restrained, real-world lens. “BusinessNZ wanted to see a Budget which delivered a credible, long-term economic...
Source: BusinessNZ — BusinessNZ welcomes the Government’s Budget 2026 investment of $131.1 million into compulsory education, saying the package reinforces the importance of strong foundational learning for New Zealand’s long-term economic future. BusinessNZ Director of Education, Skills and Immigration Rachel Simpson says meaningful education reform requires resourcing and ensuring teachers have...
Source: BusinessNZ — Changes to the Active Investor Plus visa settings mean charitable contributions of up to $1 million will qualify as part of an applicant’s minimum $5 million investment in New Zealand. BusinessNZ says the move will strengthen public confidence in foreign investment by broadening the benefits beyond economic outcomes...
