PM Edition: Here are the top 10 business articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 26, 2026 – Full Text
Research and development survey: 2025 – Stats NZ information release
April 23, 2026
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Auckland liquor licences axed or suspended after selling booze to teen Silas Sims before fatal crash
April 25, 2026
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Silas Sims, 16, was killed when his car hit a power pole last July. Open Justice
Teenager Silas Sims and his underage mates were sold alcohol at three different venues before he jumped into a car, drove drunk and crashed into a power pole.
The much-loved 16-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. His blood contained more than three times the legal alcohol limit for adult drivers.
Last month, eight months on from the fatal crash, the two bars that sold him drinks on 19 July last year had their liquor licences suspended. The liquor shop that sold alcohol to Silas and his friend three times that day has had its licence cancelled.
In making those decisions, the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority said a “disturbing” if not “alarming” feature of the case was the “apparent ease” with which the young men were able to buy drinks, without any efforts to check their ages.
Silas’ parents, who pushed for the venues to be prosecuted, have told NZME they are glad there have been repercussions.
While they did not want any businesses to be shut down, they were satisfied that the consequences were “part of deterrence”.
“We did want it to be a big case in so much as a wake-up call,” Silas’ father, Benjamin Sims, said.
“Those sentences have been that.”
Day-drinking in Matakana
On the day he died, Silas had made plans to meet up with two friends, whose names are suppressed, in Matakana, north of Auckland, to drink and smoke cannabis.
He first entered the Matakana Liquor Centre alone after 2pm and asked duty manager Tracey Brown where the Jägermeister was.
She showed him, and he bought a 700ml bottle of the 35 percent alcohol spirit. He was not asked for ID.
An hour and a half later, he and a friend arrived at popular music venue the Leigh Sawmill Cafe, in Leigh, 15 minutes’ drive northeast of Matakana.
Silas ordered two beers from owner and duty manager Edward Guinness.
Silas was asked his age; he told Guinness he was 18 and was not asked to prove it.
He failed at buying a second round, however, and was told he had “had enough”.
Then, the pair met up with a third friend and again entered the liquor store.
Silas bought a four-pack of rum and colas, while his friend bought an 18-pack.
They were served by two different staff members, including duty manager Johann Graas. Neither was asked for ID.
At 5.45pm, the pair went to the Matakana Village Pub, where they bought a rum and cola and a Guinness.
Silas’ two friends tried to dissuade him from driving home and tried to take his keys.
But he persisted and, while driving along Leigh Road, on a left-hand bend, he crossed the centre line, left the road and crashed into a concrete power pole in a paddock.
He was pronounced dead after being removed from his car by paramedics.
An autopsy showed he had 193 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Drivers under 20 aren’t allowed to have any alcohol in their system; the adult limit is 50mg.
Without fear
Silas Sims, 16, who died in a drunk-driving accident last year, was never asked for ID when buying alcohol, his mother said. Open Justice
Silas’ parents described their son as outgoing, charming and fearless.
“He could walk into a room and talk to anybody, from the day he could speak,” his father said.
“He didn’t have enough fear,” his mother, Sarah Sims, added. “… and that’s heartbreaking.
“It was just a lot of bad luck, and I so wish he was here.”
She told NZME her son looked older than he was.
“He is the kid that would get served. He looked 20.”
By the time he was served at the Matakana pub, he was “really, really rotten”, she said.
CCTV footage showed him stumbling around the pub.
His mother became emotional as she said she wished someone at the venue, after taking her son’s money, had also looked out for him.
Denying liability
The venues responded differently to the police applications to have their liquor licences suspended or cancelled.
The owners of the Leigh Sawmill Cafe and the Matakana Village Pub accepted the applications.
However, the Matakana Liquor Centre, owned by Micmat Ltd, denied liability.
Micmat owners John and Louise Walsh told the authority they had taken extensive steps to ensure alcohol was not sold to minors at their store.
There were multiple wall signs at the shop, even for the staff, and rigorous staff training and declarations to ensure that the law was followed.
Despite all these precautions, Silas and his friend were not asked for ID a total of three times in three hours, the authority found.
They were therefore found liable.
Warkworth teenager Silas Sims with his parents Sarah and Benjamin. Open Justice
The duty managers
Duty manager Brown, who sold Silas the bottle of Jägermeister, had her manager’s certificate suspended for two months.
The certificate of the store’s second manager, Graas, had already lapsed, and he had left the industry, so the application against him was dismissed.
Leigh Sawmill owner Guinness admitted breaching the law and contributing to Silas’ death.
He told the authority he was “embarrassed” and admitted he had “messed this one up”.
His certificate was suspended for eight weeks.
Christopher King, duty manager of the Matakana pub at the time, gave evidence that, when Silas came into the bar, he was complaining of a splinter in his hand.
There was a brief moment, as King shone a torch on Silas’ hand and got him tweezers, when they were in close proximity.
King told the hearing it never crossed his mind that Silas was a minor, as he appeared “broad-shouldered and confident”.
On reflection, he accepted he may have been distracted, but Silas had none of the “red flags” of drunkenness, such as smelling of alcohol.
The authority found it “difficult to understand” how King had not found Silas to be drunk, considering the teen left the pub and was killed 20 minutes later.
King’s certificate was suspended for 12 weeks.
Consequences
Leigh Sawmill’s liquor licence was suspended for two weeks from 14-26 April, and the business has closed for that time.
The Matakana Village Pub, which now has a new owner, had its licence suspended for 21 days, from 29 April to 19 May.
Matakana Liquor Centre’s licence was cancelled, and the company was given 21 days to close the business.
Its lawyer, Andrew Braggins, told NZME an appeal against the cancellation had been lodged.
A representative from Leigh Sawmill Cafe told NZME it felt the matter had been “dealt with” and did not wish to comment any further.
Deborah Body, who owned the Matakana pub at the time, said she deeply regretted the incident.
She had accepted all the applications the police made and co-operated “from the outset”.
“We knew what we had done,” she told NZME. “There was no question for us.”
The liquor store owners declined to comment.
Police said they could not speak about the proceedings as Silas’ death was still before the coroner’s office.
They could not say whether any criminal charges would be laid in future for the same reason.
Actioning change
Meanwhile, Silas’ parents say taking a more “positive” and active approach and effecting change has helped with their grief.
Benjamin Sims, a web developer, said he looked at his son’s bank statements after he died and noticed that purchases at alcohol stores were classed as “restricted” by the bank, because Silas was underage.
He has gathered signatures for a petition that is currently before a parliamentary committee to require banks to restrict or block such payments.
“[Banks] make billions of dollars a year. [They] can afford to do this.
“It’s not about alcohol; it’s about all restricted goods.”
– This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Treasury officials revisit economic forecasts ahead of Budget delivery
April 23, 2026
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Finance Minister Nicola Willis faces questions as economic outlook downgraded. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Treasury officials have this week decided to revisit their economic forecasts for this year’s Budget – just five weeks before its scheduled delivery.
In a briefing at her Beehive office, Finance Minister Nicola Willis told reporters the move was “very unusual” and demonstrated the intense global volatility.
She said she was awaiting the updated forecasts before Cabinet could sign off on the Budget, due to be announced on 28 May.
“Treasury are working their hardest to make those forecasts as accurate as they can be, but they are just very cognisant that every time these numbers move in international markets, it has pretty significant implications for what they’re forecasting in growth, inflation, state of our books.”
Willis said the crisis had meant a “rework” of the Budget, given the need to squeeze in extra unexpected initiatives like the recently announced cost of living support.
Asked about any significant spending cuts, Willis said “a range of savings” had been found.
“I am very conscious that many New Zealanders would like to see us splashing the cash right now, and I would love to ease the pressure that many people are feeling,” she said.
“We simply can’t do that responsibly as a country right now.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis faces questions as economic outlook downgraded. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
‘Disrupted but not derailed’
Willis said Treasury had advised her – based on the markets – that oil was expected to dip back below US$80 (NZ$135) by the end of the year.
“We also hold out the hope that oil will gradually resume flowing through the Strait of Hormuz in the second half of this year,” she said.
“What we are presenting to you is a picture of an economy that has been disrupted, but not derailed, and will continue to grow this year.”
Willis presented several potential scenarios – prepared by Treasury – regarding possible economic impacts of the Iran crisis.
For example, if oil prices averaged US$110 a barrel in the current quarter before returning to normal early next year, officials expected inflation could hit 3.9 percent this financial year.
GDP growth would be expected to fall to 2 percent, while unemployment would remain steady at 5.3 percent.
Willis said, based on recent developments and market expectations, that scenario seemed to be the “most likely”.
In a “prolonged and more severe” conflict where oil prices averaged $180 across this quarter and next, inflation could climb to 7.4 percent, with growth of just 0.8 percent and an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent.
Willis said that outcome was “extremely unlikely” and noted the scenarios were produced a month ago.
“If a week is a long time in politics, a day is a long time in the oil markets.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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One before the courts following burglary, Dannevirke
April 25, 2026
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Source: New Zealand Police
A Dannevirke business can breathe a sigh of relief after Police recovered a $30,000 Rough Terrain Vehicle that was stolen earlier in the week.
The business was targeted by three people shortly after midnight on 20 April. The offenders entered the yard and spent about 90 minutes wandering around before they cut a fence and towed the vehicle out using a quad bike.
Constable Micaela Hodgson says CCTV assisted enquiries, but the case got a boost when a man tried to purchase an ignition key from a store the very next day.
“The person behind the counter asked a few questions and said they’d need to see ID before they could provide the new key. That put the guy off until the next day, when he was back and surprisingly handed over his ID to complete the purchase.
“The manager of the store put the two events together and got in touch with us.”
Constable Hodgson said that that information led to Police executing a search warrant at property on Weber Road in Dannevirke on Friday, where found the RTV parked in a wood shed.
“The business is stoked to have the RTV returned, and they’re impressed with the speed of it all.”
A 37-year-old man was arrested in relation to the incident and is due in Dannevirke District Court on 29 April charged with burglary by night over $5000.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
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DYXnet Wins Bronze Stevie® for Innovation in Technology Management, Planning & Implementation at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards
April 24, 2026
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Source: Media Outreach
Recognized for Strategic Excellence in Delivering AI-Ready, Secure, and Integrated Digital Infrastructure
Gaining this prestigious recognition not only affirms DYXnet’s dedication to delivering professional, high-quality ICT services but also underscores its ongoing commitment to advancing with the fast-evolving technological landscape—particularly in the AI era—empowering enterprises to achieve seamless digital transformation through innovative, integrated solutions.
The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 markets of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world’s premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards® for 24 years.
This accolade celebrates DYXnet’s proven expertise in guiding enterprises through the complexities of the AI era. By combining thoughtful strategic planning with precise, end-to-end execution, DYXnet has created a powerful, unified infrastructure that seamlessly brings together high-performance AI computing, flexible cloud resources, reliable network connectivity, and comprehensive cybersecurity protections.
This integrated “AI+ Cloud-Network-Cybersecurity” approach empowers businesses to deploy and scale AI initiatives with confidence—whether through rapid private AI environments, intelligent operations automation (AIOps), or tailored enterprise AI applications that enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and boost overall efficiency. It effectively addresses critical demands such as surging computational requirements, secure hybrid environments, regulatory compliance, optimized resource use, and seamless multi-cloud connectivity, all while maintaining robust data protection.
These capabilities have already delivered tangible value across industries: improving production efficiency and security modernization in manufacturing, accelerating R&D cycles in emerging technology sectors, and strengthening operational resilience through compliant, high-performance infrastructure.
As a trusted enterprise network service provider in Hong Kong and Greater China, DYXnet places strong emphasis on the transformative power of AI. The company is committed to empowering enterprises with greater agility, resilience, and innovation through its one-stop “AI + Cloud + Network + Cybersecurity” solutions, and was amongst the first ICT service providers in the regions to obtain the prestigious ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI management systems last year. The company continues to turn strategic vision into tangible outcomes, enabling enterprises to achieve secure, intelligent, and sustainable growth in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/90470
Hashtag: #DYXnet #第一線 #AI #雲網安
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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Property Market – Commercial Land Shortage Drives Property Prices to Record High – Data
April 24, 2026
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A shortage of suitably-zoned commercial and industrial land is pushing Auckland’s property market to record-high levels, as competition for development-ready sites intensifies.
Industry experts warn the constraints will increase the cost of establishing and expanding businesses in the region, with higher land prices flowing through to development, logistics and ultimately consumers.
New data from realestate.co.nz shows Auckland’s industrial and commercial land values have reached an average of $1,190 per square metre in the 12 months to March 2026, the highest level recorded in at least a decade and up more than 600 percent from ten years ago.
The pressure is also being felt in other parts of the sector, with the average asking price for industrial buildings in Auckland now at over $3.5 million for the first time, reflecting the lack of availability of well-located sites in the country’s largest market.
At the same time, the average land area of industrial properties available for sale has fallen to a record low of 1,864 sqm, from 5,212 sqm a decade ago, a decline of more than 64%, signalling a shift toward smaller, more constrained site offerings.
Search data indicates demand is being driven primarily by domestic investors, with international activity easing over the past year.
While macroeconomic factors have slowed transaction volumes in recent years, particularly for land, the underlying shortage of development-ready sites continues to place upward pressure on pricing when assets do come to market.
Sarah Wood, CEO of realestate.co.nz, says the data highlights a long-term imbalance in the Auckland market, where limited land supply is driving prices.
She says the region remains the primary hub of the New Zealand economy, contributing 38% to national GDP, with shifts in land supply and pricing feeding directly into business costs, investment decisions and economic activity across the rest of the country.
“What we’re seeing is a structural shortage of commercial and industrial land, particularly in Auckland. There simply isn’t enough development-ready land coming to market to meet demand, and that is now being reflected clearly in pricing.
“The step-change in land prices over the past two years in particular isn’t a typical movement. It reflects a situation where supply is no longer keeping pace with demand.
“This is shifting development patterns, with access to suitable sites increasingly dictating how and where projects can occur, particularly for larger-scale industrial users.
“Over time, that affects where businesses locate, how supply chains are structured, and the cost of operating across the wider economy, including the competitiveness of New Zealand’s exports,” she says.
Stephen Hughes, CEO of Drury South Crossing, the country’s largest mixed-use development, says the same constraints are playing out on the ground, with limited availability of large, serviced industrial sites across the wider Auckland region.
“Businesses are placing a premium on land that is build-ready and well connected to transport modes, power and fibre. In a constrained market, those locations are becoming harder to secure and that is flowing directly into pricing.”
He says developments such as Drury South Crossing are becoming increasingly rare, with only a small number of large, industrial-zoned sites still available for purchase.
“We have sold more than 100 hectares of land at Drury South over the past five years, and with just 30 hectares remaining, we won’t be able to accommodate every requirement. Early movers can still secure a site, but the supply of greenfield industrial land at this scale across the region is becoming increasingly limited.”
Hughes says rising electricity demand is also reshaping site requirements, with many existing industrial locations unable to support modern business needs.
“It’s not just data centres, it’s everyday businesses needing more power for automation, machinery and electric vehicle fleets, and many older sites simply can’t support that without significant upgrades.”
Wood says there has been a noticeable shift in the commercial property market, where constrained land supply is dictating pricing, development patterns and business costs, with supply continuing to tighten.
“We’re seeing a move toward a land-constrained market, where site availability is becoming more important than the buildings themselves.
“Our data shows new commercial and industrial land listings have fallen 4 percent over the past year, from 211 to 203, reflecting the limited supply conditions.
“Higher land costs don’t stay in the property market, they affect businesses, logistics and ultimately consumers.
“Addressing this will require faster zoning, better infrastructure and a more proactive approach to planning commercial land supply,” she says.
Wood says buyer activity on the platform is strengthening, with commercial search volumes up 12 percent over the past year, while active users in the sector have increased 21 percent over the same period.
“Commercial for sale property searches increased 12 percent in the 12 months to March 2026, with a lift in engagement from domestic investors and occupiers.
“According to our search data, international interest has softened, suggesting the current upswing is being driven primarily by local capital.”
Wood says the alignment of rising land values and increased buyer activity suggests a more active period ahead.
“When we see more people searching, more activity in the market, and rising values, it typically indicates momentum is building.
“If these trends continue, we would expect stronger transaction volumes through the rest of 2026.
“Over time, this risks pushing industrial activity further from key centres, increasing transport costs and reducing supply chain efficiency,” she says.
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David Seymour floats giving year 11s $500 to invest, taking from annual KiwiSaver subsidy
April 23, 2026
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Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / Mark Papalii
The ACT Party leader David Seymour has floated dishing out $500 to every year 11 student for an investment account, to promote investing at a younger age.
It was not an ACT policy “yet”, he said.
Seymour said the idea could be funded by taking about five percent, or $30 million, of the $600 million annual KiwiSaver subsidy – the government’s $260 contribution to people’s KiwiSaver accounts.
“I think most people would say that’s a bargain,” he said.
“For a relatively modest amount of money, we could give a generation a practical introduction to saving, investing, ownership, and financial responsibility.”
Using actual money, rather than a simulator, means students have “skin in the game” and would be more motivated, Seymour said.
The cash would be accompanied by education, including assessments each term, but it was still unclear who might teach it, he said.
Seymour told Checkpoint this was the reason he was floating this as an idea rather than a complete policy.
It could perhaps be a hybrid of online learning, people from the community and homeroom teachers, he said.
“It needn’t take up a huge amount of time but it will get children’s attention and that’s why it has to have real money and real skin in the game, because they have to really want it.”
He told Checkpoint this idea would solve a few problems.
“Most people would agree we’re too into housing compared with productive investment, we have a problem with productivity and wage growth, which manifests itself as concern about the cost of living, and we also I think have a bit of a problem with financial literacy, or at least we could certainly do better on that.”
It was a shot at improving people’s financial literacy.
“Too many young New Zealanders leave school without even a basic understanding of how wealth is created, how capital grows, or how businesses generate value,” Seymour said.
“Changing that requires a change in how the next generation thinks about business and investment. Bluntly, I do not think our current education system is set up to teach this.”
The idea would directly address the country’s poor productivity, he said.
“A generation of savvy, financially literate young Kiwis will increase productivity more drastically than almost anything else.”
It was education rather than a hand out, and people would not be able to take the money and run because there would be controls on the accounts, he said.
Seymour said he would be asking people to give up about $25 per year in order to help the next generation.
“At the moment you get about $500, if it was to become $475, but you knew you were living in a country where the young people, the next generation, had a new appreciation of the value of saving and investing, and that the whole country was going to be weathier as a result of that shift, I think you could probably forgive the effectively $25 a year.”
How it would work
Seymour suggested the process could be supported by platforms like Sharesies or BlackBull, and each student’s investments would progress each term after passing assessments.
In term one they’d choose a term deposit: “a safe investment, but one that introduces the basic idea of storing capital,” Seymour said.
In term two, they would invest in a managed fund to learn about risk, and in term three they could invest in New Zealand equities before moving to global assets in term four.
There were a few options from there, like putting the money directly into a student’s KiwiSaver, adding it as credit to a student loan, or keeping the gains they make above the original $500, in cash.
If they don’t pass the assessments: “you’ve got to keep your money in a term deposit, and the returns won’t be great, but at least you’re safe.”
On Thursday evening Seymour presented the idea to a business crowd at an ANZ event in Christchurch.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Xsolla Partners With De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to Launch a Global Publishing Platform for the Next Generation of Filipino Game Developers
April 24, 2026
Full Coverage
Source: Media Outreach
Landmark MOU Gives Philippine Game Design Students a Direct Pathway to Publish, Distribute, and Compete on the World Stage
Empowering the next generation of Filipino game developers
The MOU was signed in the presence of distinguished witnesses, signatories, and guests, underscoring the broad institutional support for the initiative. Ms. Bianca Pearl Sykimte, Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Export Marketing Bureau, and Mr. James Ronald Ho, President of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), served as witness signatories.
At the center of the partnership is the co-development of a dedicated, Benilde-branded game launcher and distribution platform, a curated space where student-developed games can be showcased, published, and made available to a global community for learning, portfolio development, and player feedback. Beyond the platform itself, Xsolla will provide students and faculty with technical training, platform support, and analytics tools to strengthen both curriculum development and commercial readiness.
The Philippines has rapidly emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic game development ecosystems, with Benilde at its academic core. Since launching the region’s first dedicated GDD degree program in 2009, the institution has produced graduates who have gone on to build studios, ship titles, and carry a distinctly Filipino creative perspective onto the global stage. This partnership accelerates that momentum, connecting Benilde’s creative pipeline directly to Xsolla’s worldwide commerce and distribution network.
“Southeast Asia is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in global gaming right now, and the Philippines is leading that charge,” said Chris Hewish, President at Xsolla. “What Benilde has built over the past decade is remarkable: a generation of developers with real craft, real ambition, and stories that deserve to be heard beyond their borders. This partnership is about making sure those stories reach the world. Xsolla exists to help developers at every stage go further, and that mission starts here, with the next generation.”
“The talent is here. The creativity is here. What students need is the infrastructure and the global reach to turn their work into something the world can actually play,” said Eric Lee, Head of Partnerships for APAC at Xsolla. “That’s exactly what this partnership delivers. We’re giving Benilde’s developers not just a platform, but a launchpad and everything Xsolla has built to help them grow and win once they’re on it.”
The partnership also opens pathways for joint research initiatives and educational outreach that spotlight socially relevant student works, further positioning Philippine game development as a creative and commercial force in the global industry.
Hashtag: #Xsolla
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
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Chris Hipkins announces Labour will back India free trade deal
April 23, 2026
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Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Labour Party has confirmed it will support the India-NZ free trade deal, giving National and ACT the required numbers to pass it through Parliament.
But Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he remained concerned about a commitment in the agreement to promote up to $20 billion (USD) of New Zealand private sector investment over 15 years.
In a media conference at Parliament on Thursday, Hipkins said that target was “very unrealistic” and Labour would not have agreed to that in negotiations.
“It is almost impossible for New Zealand to ever meet that target, and that is one of the things our exporters will need to be aware of,” he said.
“We’re not going to stop the agreement proceeding because of it, but businesses need to be aware that that is a risk to them.”
In a media conference at Parliament on Thursday, Hipkins said that target was “very unrealistic”. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Trade minister Todd McClay is set to fly to New Delhi over the long weekend to sign the agreement on Monday.
However, New Zealand First’s firm opposition to the deal meant National and ACT required Labour’s support in order to pass legislation to enact parts of the agreement.
Labour and National had been at an impasse for months over the extent of advice being shared about the deal.
An array of exporters and business associations last week issued an open letter calling on all parties to support the deal.
At the time, Hipkins said he was still waiting for the government to clarify some “issues and inconsistencies”.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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Watch live: Chris Hipkins announces Labour will back India free trade deal
April 23, 2026
Full Coverage
Source: Radio New Zealand
The Labour Party has confirmed it will support the India-NZ free trade deal, giving National and ACT the required numbers to pass it through Parliament
But Chris Hipkins has warned businesses to proceed at their own risk and do their own due diligence.
“New Zealand businesses need to go into this with their eyes wide open,” the Labour leader said announced support for the deal on Thursday.
“The deal cuts tariffs, and increases market access for New Zealand exporters, and that is very welcome. But the $33 billion investment target is unrealistic and missing it could see benefits clawed back in 15 years.
Trade Minister Todd McClay is set to fly to New Delhi over the long weekend to sign the agreement on Monday.
However, New Zealand First’s firm opposition to the deal means National and ACT require Labour’s support in order to pass legislation to enact parts of the agreement.
Labour and National have been at an impasse for months over the extent of advice being shared about the deal.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins RNZ / Mark Papalii
An array of exporters and business associations last week issued an open letter calling on all parties to support the deal.
Earlier, Hipkins said he was still waiting for the government to clarify some “issues and inconsistencies”.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
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