Small Business

Click here to return to the economy summary.                        Click here to return to the policy homepage.

• Give priority to radically reducing the burden of regulation in respect of employment, economic development and taxation, as well as compensating businesses for their costs. (more here)

• Introduce an 0800 and online 'champion' service for small businesses who are having problems getting answers or dealing with the bureaucracy of government departments.
• Increase funding for the Be Your Own Boss scheme so it is available to anyone starting a business for the first time and new migrants.
• Ensure the interests of manufacturing are represented at Cabinet with a Minister whose portfolio includes responsibility for this sector.
• Explore ways of increasing access to capital for small businesses, including providing tax deductions for investors. (more here)
• Implement green government procurement and certification processes to drive the rapid commercialisation of clean technologies and manufacturing processes. Government procurement will recognise the wider economic benefits of buying New Zealand made.
• Create a start-up capital fund of $100 million for clean technology SMEs and community enterprises;
  Boost Government funding of R&D by $1 billion over three years.
• Simplify tax compliance for small businesses with an annual turnover of under $1 million;
  Set clear, strong national environmental standards (through National Policy Statements and National Environmental Standards) to drive innovation and enhance productivity.
• Support vocational training in emerging clean technology industries;
  Extend support where needed to farmers’ markets throughout New Zealand to enhance the returns local growers receive. (more here)

• Labour will introduce a set of principles to underpin all legislation that relates to the capital markets and financial advice, recognising in particular the obligations of fiduciaries.
• Labour will urgently review the provisions of Part 2 of the Commerce Act with emphasis on s36.
• Labour will progress the large number of small “fixes” to a range of regulatory frameworks identified in the Quality Regulation Review.
• Labour will reduce compliance costs for equity offerings, which openly describe the risk of loss of investment, by simplifying prospectus and audit requirements.  (more here)

Not set out on their website.

Not set out on their website.

• Introduce and pass tougher consumer credit laws announced by the National-led Government, in order to target loan sharks and protect unwary consumers.
• Tighten the rules for company directors and company registration – including expanded powers for the Registrar of Companies.
• Pass the Commerce (Cartels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. (more here)

• Encourage entrepreneurial activity, especially export orientation, assistance in export introductions, pooling of expertise, mentoring schemes, and introduction to funders all through a regionally available MED co-ordinated service that has minimal bureaucracy attached to it.
• Further simplify the admistration of the tax system to relieve the compliance burden on SMEs. (more here)