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Government measures to cut red tape are on track to cut compliance costs for businesses and consumers by around $200 million a year, Finance Minister Bill English and Regulatory Reform Minister Rodney Hide say.

The estimate is included in a new Ministry of Economic Development report, Regulatory Reform: Changes Affecting Compliance Costs for Business and Citizens. The report, which will be produced annually, measures progress towards the Government’s goals of better and less regulation.

The Government’s Review of Expenditure on Policy Advice identifies several significant issues with the cost, quality and management of policy advice and makes 36 recommendations to address them.

The review, announced last year, will help the Government’s wider programme to control growth in the costs of public sector back office functions and deliver better frontline public services, Finance Minister Bill English says.

However, it does not recommend specific cuts to policy advice spending.

The Government intends to commission two new schools in Hobsonville that will be designed, financed, built and maintained under a public-private partnership, Infrastructure Minister Bill English, Education Minister Anne Tolley and Associate Education Minister Rodney Hide announced today.

The Government will now seek formal expressions of interest from market participants for new primary and secondary schools at Hobsonville Point, north-west of Auckland. Subject to satisfactory bids, the schools will be the first built in New Zealand under a PPP.

The new Productivity Commission's first two inquiries will be into housing affordability and international freight services – two areas that affect New Zealand's international competitiveness, Finance Minister Bill English and Regulatory Reform Minister Rodney Hide say.

The Ministers also announced the appointments of Sally Davenport and Graham Scott as commissioners, working alongside New Zealand Productivity Commission chairman Murray Sherwin.

Ministers will initially refer two topics for inquiry to the Productivity Commission:

A Bill setting up a new local government funding agency is expected to be introduced to Parliament shortly, according to Finance Minister Bill English and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide.

“The agency will lower the overall cost of borrowing for all councils by allowing a co-operative approach to raising finance,” Mr Hide said. “It is estimated the agency could save local authorities collectively around $25 million a year.”

New Zealand has maintained third place in the World Bank's Doing Business survey, confirming its reputation as one of the best countries in which to do business, say Finance Minister Bill English a

The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Murray Sherwin, will chair the soon-to-be-established New Zealand Productivity Commission, Finance Minister Bill English and Regula

As part of its drive to deliver better frontline public services, the Government today announced a review of spending on policy advice across its departments and agencies, which increased significa

A new Productivity Commission will be set up early next year to help boost New Zealand’s economic performance across the public and private sectors, Finance Minister Bill English and Regulatory R

Better and less regulation is essential to boost New Zealand's productivity growth, international competitiveness and living standards, the Hon Rodney Hide, Minister for Regulatory Reform, and the