Search

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 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:

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