NZ Launches Small Businesses Website

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

30 July 2010

Small Business Minister, Maurice Williamson, has announced that New Zealand’s government has re-launched a website to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) save time and money.

Williamson said that the website, originally created in 2007 and maintained by the Ministry of Economic Development, has a new look and improved functionality, and has been developed to be a ‘first-stop-shop’ for SMEs in New Zealand.

"The portal will be a single repository for all the information a business person would need to start, manage and grow their business," he confirmed. "It will also be the doorway between small businesses and government agencies, enabling business owners to go to one place to find out about government regulations, news that may affect them, and tools to help them with their business."

The new portal allows for an initial set of transactions with the New Zealand Companies Office, and a number of other agency transactions are set to be introduced in the coming months. The website also covers a wide range of government rules and regulations affecting businesses in New Zealand, and information on how businesses can meet their compliance requirements.

"We have listened to what small business owners told us about interacting with government departments,” Williamson added. “They told us we had great tools and great information, but nobody knew where to find it. They also said they wanted a simple, seamless way of transacting with government. I'm confident the redeveloped portal addresses those concerns and will meet their needs."

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