APEC Regulatory Reform Symposium

New Zealand's proposal to focus part of its preparatory work for next year's APEC Leaders Meeting on competition and regulatory frameworks was launched at the APEC Ministers Meeting on Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia this week, Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford said today.

Speaking from Kuala Lumpur where he was attending the APEC Ministers SME meeting, Mr Bradford said an APEC Regulatory Reform Symposium, organised by New Zealand, also took place in Kuatan, Malaysia, this week.

"It was the first such symposium for APEC. New Zealand has led the work in APEC over the past four years on competition policy and deregulation as Chair of the APEC Competition Working Group," he said.

The symposium attracted business people, academics and government officials from around the APEC region.

"The globalisation of business activity has focused increasing attention on domestic regulation across economies," Mr Bradford said. "The severe economic problems being experienced by many APEC economies are making it all the more urgent that sound approaches to regulatory reform are adopted.

"New Zealand is not immune to the current economic difficulties. They underscore why it is so important for us to continue to drive to bring down the cost of government on our own businesses.

"APEC has an important role to play in promoting regulatory reform that stimulates business activity and business growth in the region. The symposium laid the foundation for further work on these issues which New Zealand will seek to advance next year during our chairmanship of APEC."