PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 24, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2026 – Hong Kong’s small businesses delivered their strongest performance in a decade in 2025, while confidence in the year ahead has climbed to a record high, according to CPA Australia’s latest Asia‑Pacific Small Business Survey 2025–26.

The survey shows that 68 per cent of Hong Kong SMEs recorded growth in 2025, up from 65 per cent in 2024 and marking the highest result on record. This positive momentum is expected to continue this year, with 71 per cent of SMEs expecting their businesses to grow and 76 per cent anticipating growth in the local economy — both at record highs. Customer loyalty and a strong workforce were identified as key drivers behind SMEs’ solid performance last year.

Mr Cliff Ip, Councillor of CPA Australia’s Greater China Divisional Council, said Hong Kong’s improving business environment played a critical role in supporting SME growth. “Hong Kong’s business confidence and economic growth strengthened last year, supported by robust capital markets, a recovery in tourism and consumption, and signs of stabilisation in the property market,” said Mr Ip. “Against this stable and supportive backdrop, small businesses not only benefited from increased business activity, but were also able to expand in a healthy and sustainable manner.”

Looking ahead, Mr Ip noted that while global geopolitical tensions and external uncertainties pose rising challenges, Hong Kong’s underlying strengths remain a key advantage for SMEs. “Rising geopolitical risks are likely to create headwinds for many sectors such as trade and logistics through higher fuel costs and supply chain disruptions. However, I remain confident about Hong Kong’s overall business outlook this year,” he said. “As many regions become more unpredictable or less secure, Hong Kong’s stable and consistent business environment, together with supportive policy settings including the city’s low and simple tax regime stand out as important advantages in attracting international companies and investors.”

Mr Ip added that these developments also present new opportunities for local SMEs, particularly as increased international interest creates scope to build partnerships, expand networks and tap into new markets. “This environment also creates favourable conditions for younger entrepreneurs to explore emerging markets and pursue new business opportunities,” he said.

Improved business performance has strengthened the solvency of many local SMEs. The share of businesses reporting difficulty paying debts fell sharply from 22 per cent in 2024 to just 3 per cent in 2025, while only 4 per cent expect to face difficulties this year, down markedly from 26 per cent previously. As a result, Hong Kong small businesses are now the least likely among the surveyed businesses to report solvency concerns.

Mr Ip said, “The solvency of many SMEs has notably improved, driven by stronger cash flow from improved business growth, a robust capital market and a recovering property market over the past year. This healthier cashflow has both supported easier access to external finance and reduced the need for such finance.”

Hong Kong SMEs have also strengthened their capability to invest in technology that delivers rapid improvements in profitability. In 2025, 64 per cent of SMEs reported that their technology investment in that year helped improve profitability, up from 59 per cent in 2024. Two in five Hong Kong SMEs invested in artificial intelligence (AI) last year, making it the leading technology investment among local SMEs, followed by customer relationship management (CRM) software.

At the same time, cyber protection has improved, with the share of Hong Kong businesses reporting losses from cyber incidents falling sharply from 72 per cent in 2024 to 43 per cent in 2025. However, as digitalisation accelerates, cyber risks remain elevated, with nearly three in five SMEs expecting to face cyber threats this year, above the survey average 42 per cent.

Mr Davy Leung, Deputy Chairperson of CPA Australia’s SME and Entrepreneurship Committee of Greater China, said the growing maturity and availability of AI tools is helping SMEs enhance productivity, reduce operating costs and improve customer experience.

“However, rising digital fraud, wider AI adoption and SMEs’ increasing reliance on digital banking have prompted the Hong Kong Government to significantly strengthen banking security and cybersecurity resilience over the past year. This includes the rollout of low-cost and practical initiatives such as the Cybersec One Programme and the continued implementation of the ‘9+5’ SME support measures. The decline of cyberattack-related losses reported in the survey in part reflects the effectiveness of these measures.

“As cybersecurity threats and digital fraud risks continue to escalate, SMEs should make better use of these available resources, including free website risk assessments and vulnerability identification services, to strengthen their defence capabilities and safeguard business operations.”

Mr Leung also suggested that the Government consider revamping the Technology Voucher Programme to support broader digitalisation efforts, including the adoption of both AI and non-AI technologies. He added that enhanced training support would help SMEs identify and implement modern tools to drive innovation, improve efficiency and strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Rising costs remain a key challenge for Hong Kong SMEs in 2025, with 29 per cent reporting it having a negative impact on their business. However, this was the second‑lowest level among all surveyed markets, underscoring Hong Kong’s relatively low inflationary environment last year. Notably, the share of SMEs citing staff costs as a negative factor rose from 35 per cent to 42 per cent, making it the most significant cost pressure for Hong Kong businesses in 2025. This increase may help explain why the proportion of SMEs hiring additional staff declined from 42 per cent to 38 per cent last year.

Mr Leung said, “Increasing costs remain a significant barrier for many SMEs across Asia‑Pacific region, but Hong Kong’s relatively low inflation has helped cushion the impact on local small businesses,” Mr Leung said.

Mr Leung added that while headcount growth has moderated, overall staff costs have continued to rise as businesses invest in higher‑value talent. “Greater digitalisation and automation have helped ease labour constraints in Hong Kong. When SMEs do add staff, they are increasingly recruiting employees with digital and AI capabilities, or creating new roles to support business transformation. These positions typically command higher salaries, which has contributed to higher overall staff costs despite slower hiring growth.”

The annual survey collected the views of 4,166 small businesses across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including Singapore, the Chinese Mainland, and Australia, with 305 respondents from Hong Kong.

Hashtag: #CPAAustralia

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– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2026 – The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), today announced a decisive push into AI-ready infrastructure to position itself at the forefront of agentic commerce, as intelligent agents increasingly take over how travellers plan and book their stays. Three strategic collaborations with Accenture, Amadeus and EHL Hospitality Business School will advance this AI-ready transformation across digital architecture, distribution and people capabilities. As one of the global hospitality companies frontrunning to invest in agentic AI, Ascott seeks to accumulate data, operating experience and process efficiencies that would compound over time.

Mr Kevin Goh, Chief Executive Officer, Ascott, said: “Distribution shifts, labour pressures and rising guest expectations are reshaping hospitality. While AI is already helping Ascott make meaningful strides across commercial and operational functions, the bigger opportunity lies in what comes next. Instead of waiting to see how agentic AI plays out in travel, we are building the infrastructure to shape how it does. With more than 1,000 properties across 14 brands in over 230 cities, the opportunity before us is significant. The work we are announcing today covers how our workflows are redesigned, how our inventory reaches guests and how our people are equipped to deliver. AI can power our operations, but only our people can exercise the judgement that turns a stay into a memory. That balance will guide how we continue to invest and operate.”

Ms Tan Bee Leng, Chief Commercial Officer, Ascott, said: “In an agent-led travel ecosystem, Ascott properties will have to be visible where the real decisions are made — inside algorithms. Brand and property information must become machine-readable and optimised for generative engines. That requires smarter recommendations, more precise inventory matching and loyalty experiences that recognise our Ascott Star Rewards members at every touchpoint, whether they are searching on their own or through an agent. Our work with Accenture and Amadeus is building exactly that foundation. But technology alone cannot deliver the heartfelt experiences that define an Ascott stay. Our collaboration with EHL is about keeping our people as the human advantage, bringing warmth and genuine care that no AI can fully replicate.”

Ascott’s move into agentic commerce is grounded in AI capabilities already delivering impact. Since the launch of Cubby in 2023, the digital concierge has supported more than 900,000 guest enquiries, autonomously handling most routine interactions and contributing to booking outcomes. Beyond guest engagement, Ascott has continually invested in AI-enabled capabilities across marketing, revenue management, loyalty and sales. The company has identified and even redesigned cross-functional workflows supported by AI — such as sales enablement and prospecting, pricing and discounting, lead-to-deal conversion, and marketing content creation.

Ascott has also been strengthening the content ecosystem that shapes how its properties are found and recommended by AI‑powered search and generative engines. By focusing on meaningful guest interactions that translate into positive reviews and digital advocacy, Ascott is improving the discoverability of its properties in an increasingly AI‑led travel environment. As it builds towards agentic commerce, Ascott is tracking clear outcomes, including stronger booking values, greater efficiency, faster time‑to‑market and improved AI visibility.

Preparing for Agent-Enabled Travel with Accenture
Ascott is working with Accenture, a leading solutions and services company that helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI. Together, the companies will design the foundational architecture required for a next-generation AI-enabled travel ecosystem, with responsible AI practices and data privacy built in by design. This foundation layer will help create value at speed through enabling seamless communication across Ascott’s core systems, including its central reservation, property management, customer relationship management and loyalty platforms. Ascott will be pilot testing a range of next-generation capabilities, including model context protocol frameworks, large language model (LLM)-enabled applications and early-stage unified commerce concepts. The goal is to facilitate machine-mediated interactions which do not require workarounds as they become more prevalent.

The new tech infrastructure will prepare Ascott to deploy a standardised agentic layer across different guest interfaces, such as LLM chats, messaging apps and its own direct booking platforms. Accenture is contributing to the commerce and personalisation vision that sits atop this foundation – one where Cubby could evolve from travel companion to personal travel agent. Moving from conversation to orchestration, agentic Cubby could compare options, plan itineraries and complete bookings on behalf of guests. This would give rise to a new era of personalisation, where Cubby does not just respond to guests, but anticipates their needs and acts before they have to ask.

Ms Emily Weiss, Senior Managing Director and Global Travel Industry Lead, Accenture, said: “Agentic commerce represents the biggest shift in commerce in the last 20 years. In travel specifically, we see this shift taking place across the entire end to end journey; from inspiration and planning to booking and loyalty. Ascott recognised early on that brands who have systems that agents can trust enough to transact with, have the advantage. Therefore, a technology overlay is not sufficient – platforms needed to be re-architected while reimagining how brands present themselves to machines. With Ascott, we are collaborating to build that foundation, positioning Cubby to move from travel companion to booking agent.”

Redefining Hospitality Distribution with Amadeus
Most hotel reservations systems are built around fixed room types and rates. That works well for many portfolios but is less efficient for one as diverse as Ascott’s, where serviced residences, hotels, resorts and social living properties each offer a variety of accommodation options with different demand drivers, catering to all lengths of stay and purposes. With AI agents quickly becoming a key interface for travel discovery and planning, it is becoming imperative for reservations systems to be primed for AI agents to effectively evaluate accommodation options and suggest personalised stay experiences.

To address this, Ascott is implementing the Amadeus Central Reservations System (ACRS), developed by Amadeus, a global travel technology leader. Once deployed, with an API-first architecture, ACRS will enable Ascott to define and distribute inventory by both room categories and richer property attributes, giving guests and AI agents access to a complete picture of what each property offers. The result will be a distribution model that activates properties and promotions faster, propagates rate logic more consistently and reduces friction for owners bringing new offers to market. For guests and the AI agents acting on their behalf, it means being matched to stays based on what actually matters to them.

Mr Paul Wilson, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Hospitality, Amadeus, said: “Ascott operates one of the most diverse hospitality portfolios globally, with deep roots in Asia and growing scale across multiple regions. Attribute-based shopping is where distribution is heading, and Ascott understands that better than most. We are pleased to bring these modern retailing capabilities to our customers as we transform the hospitality industry in partnership with forward-thinking customers like Ascott.”

Keeping Talent and Brand at the Core with EHL
Along with robust, integrated data, an essential enabler for implementing AI is the workforce. Ascott is making sure its people, the talent and change-management capabilities to lead the transformation, are keeping pace. As the company expands across a broader range of property types – from serviced residences and limited-service properties to full-service hotels and resorts, building an AI-ready workforce requires a clear talent development strategy. The company’s primary objective of this strategy is to design smarter, more productive operations, prioritising high-value engagements rather than scattered initiatives, thereby freeing up its associates to focus more on guests.

Working through Ascott’s Global Brand Academy, EHL – a global leader in hospitality education – is developing training programmes to build internal certified trainers at Ascott, giving regional and property teams the skills, models and tools to uphold brand standards and service philosophy. The aim is to grow brand pride, preference and performance from within, so that a shared hospitality mindset holds across the portfolio. And because AI transformation is as much a cultural exercise as it is a technical one, Ascott hopes to equip its associates with the confidence and capabilities they will need to embrace AI. The rollout has started with the Ascott brand, and will be followed by Oakwood, Citadines and others.

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Source: New Zealand Government

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay departs for New Delhi today to sign the New Zealand – India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), leading a cross-party delegation including MPs and more than 30 Kiwi business representatives.

“This landmark agreement provides huge opportunities for New Zealand exporters in one of the world’s largest and fastest growing economies,” Mr McClay says.

“The signing of this FTA is the latest example of the Government delivering on its promise to strengthen our relationship with India and supports New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years.”

Negotiations concluded in December 2025.

In India, Mr McClay will mark Anzac Day in a dawn service where he will recognise New Zealanders, Australians and Indians who fought for their country.

He will also host a joint New Zealand-India business summit with Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

Mr McClay will also stop in Singapore where he will undertake trade and investment promotion activities.

“A trade agreement with India has been a long ambition for New Zealand. The signature of the NZ-India FTA is an occasion to celebrate.”

Note to editor:

Key outcomes for New Zealand include:   

• Tariff elimination or reduction on 95 per cent of our exports.
• Duty-free access on almost 57 per cent of New Zealand’s exports from day one, increasing to 82 per cent when fully implemented, with the remaining 13 per cent being subject to sharp tariff cuts.
• Immediate tariff elimination on sheep meat, wool, coal and over 95 per cent of forestry and wood exports.
• Duty-free access on most seafood exports, including mussels and salmon, over seven years. 
• Duty-free access on most iron, steel and scrap aluminium, over 10 years or less. 
• Duty-free access for most industrial products, over five to 10 years 
• 50 per cent tariff cut for large quota of apples – nearly double recent average exports.
• Duty-free access for kiwifruit within a quota almost four times our recent average exports, and tariff halved for exports outside of quota. 
• Duty-free access for cherries, avocados, persimmons and blueberries, over 10 years. 
• Tariffs on wine reduced from 150 per cent to either 25 or 50 per cent (depending on the value of the wine) over 10 years plus a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) commitment. 
• Tariffs on mānuka honey cut from 66 per cent to 16.5 per cent over five years. 
• MFN status and liberalisation across services exports. 
• Duty-free access for dairy and other food ingredients for re-export from day one. 
• Duty-free access for bulk infant formula and other high-value dairy preparations over seven years.
• 50 per cent tariff cut for high value milk albumins within a NZ-specific quota equal to current export volumes.      

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

Allianz Trade and DBS Hong Kong brief businesses on evolving geopolitical trade risks and the critical need for granular liquidity visibility.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has welcomed a new investment by French luxury fashion house Chanel in New Zealand’s premium agricultural sector.

Chanel has invested in a joint venture company to own part of and support Lammermoor Station in the central Otago high country, which produces fine wool for Chanel’s garments.

It comes as statistics from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) show average timeframes to assess applications for business and productive forestry investments have decreased significantly since reforms began with the June 2024 Ministerial Directive letter.

Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour – who is responsible for overseas investment as Associate Finance Minister – says the new streamlined pathway allows low risk applications to be processed faster, delivering more investment to New Zealand.

“The proof is in the investment pudding. While average end to end timeframes for business and production forestry applications before June 2024 were 67 working days, this has decreased to an average of 31 working days in the last 12 months.

“Since the Amendment Act came into force, the average timeframe to grant consent for these types of investment under the new national interest test is now four working days.

“These were common sense changes that improved the efficiency of the system, and give investors greater confidence, in turn delivering growth and jobs for New Zealanders.

“Chanel’s investment in New Zealand is a great illustration of how overseas investment opens new doors for Kiwis, and a reflection that the world now sees New Zealand as open for business.”

Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says New Zealand farmers produce some of the highest quality fine wool in the world, and the partnership with Chanel at Lammermoor Station helps cement the industry’s reputation for excellence.

“This investment acknowledges the high quality of New Zealand’s exports. It allows Lammermoor to continue doing what it does best, retaining jobs and livelihoods in the process, and contributing to New Zealand’s export growth.”

Land Information Minister Mike Butterick says Lammermoor is New Zealand’s largest organic farm and only certified organic fine wool producer.

“The investment was granted under the Overseas Investment Act’s Benefit to New Zealand – farm land benefit pathway. The investment is expected to provide substantial benefit to New Zealand.

“Chanel plans to build on Lammermoor’s organic status and achieve Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC). That would make Lammermoor the world’s first ROC fine wool-producing farm.

“Achieving this certification would help to further boost the value of Lammermoor’s fine wool, increasing export receipts. It also boosts the reputation of New Zealand wool’s high quality and sustainable production.”

Lammermoor’s New Zealand owners will hold a stake in the joint venture company with Chanel, and continue to live and work on the land.

“It’s a win-win-win for Chanel, Lammermoor and New Zealanders.”

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Source: Media Outreach

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch massage business has been fined $210,000 for exploiting migrant workers.

Mother’s Thai, operating as Diamond Thai, and its owner Janya Duangjai had already agreed to pay the workers $230,000.

But authority member Peter van Keulen said there was no evidence the workers had been paid and Mother’s Thai was no longer operating.

He ordered Duangjai be ordered to pay $70,000 of the penalties.

Labour Inspectorate Migrant Exploitation Manager Natalie Gardiner said the ERA decision showed that despite structural changes occurring with the company ownership and shareholdings, enforcement action “can still be taken and that directors can be held personally accountable for serious breaches of employment law.”

“This was a particularly egregious example of migrant exploitation and the significant penalties imposed by the Authority reflect the seriousness of the harm caused to these workers.

“This outcome follows a detailed and lengthy investigation by the Senior Labour Inspector, made more complex by the employer’s failure to maintain accurate records and the workers’ understandable fear about speaking up.”

The investigation, completed in September 2024, found 55 breaches of minimum employment standards between November 2020 and 2023, including failing to pay the minimum wage, making unlawful deductions and charging employees a premium for their jobs.

Van Keuken said the workers had limited knowledge about their employment rights and little support in terms of questioning their pay and other entitlements.

“It appears that Mother’s Thai, through Ms Duangjai, took advantage of the employee’s vulnerability,” he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Homes will have to be gutted and businesses could be closed for months in the wake of Wellington’s Monday flood.

The damage is estimated to potentially run hundreds of millions of dollars across the city, where a state of emergency remains in effect.

Berhampore couple Tahni Daniels and Neal Jenkins are having to strip the contents of their house after it flooded on Monday.

Jenkins said the flood came towards their house like a tsunami, damaging most of the contents in the lower level of their home, little of which has been salvageable.

“it just felt within minutes it was knee-deep,” he said.

“Luckily we’ve got a little upstairs bedroom, so I […] had my youngest three-year-old girl in one hand and dog in the other hand and my little boy who’s six wading through the water with me and we just went upstairs.”

Daniels’ home hairdressing salon has also been destroyed and she said she’d have to start over.

She said some salons had reached out who were happy for her to work on their premises

“All the furniture’s trashed and gone because it was all wet and just really sad because I started this business six years ago and I had the babies and it’s like our life.”

Little has been salvageable in their home either.

“The saddest thing is the kids’ stuff, because all of theirs is low down. So it’s like all of their stuff, toys, beds, clothes.”

Meanwhile, restaurant Parla will be shut for a couple of months after being flooded by about forty centimetres of water.

Co-founder Tom Parsonson said it was surreal to see his business flooded by this week’s storm.

“It was a strange way to start the week. It’s just crazy to think that much water can appear so quickly.”

Parsonson said they have good insurance, which will cover support for staff and repairs.

“It’s still pretty shocking for staff to sort of wake up on a Monday and learn that their place of business is temporarily not operating.”

He said Parla’s customer-favourite Mont Blanc coffees will be sold at their sister business, Sourdough Wellington, from this weekend.

Mayoral fund launched

A $100,000 Mayoral Relief Fund has been launched to support Wellingtonians affected by Monday’s severe weather, with the city calling on Wellingtonians for further donations.

The fund will be administered by the Wellington City Mission, who is still helping people affected by the flood.

Missioner Murray Edridge expected their support would be needed for weeks, if not months yet.

“The problem with the weather becoming better, and we’re delighted that it is, is that all of us start to move on with our lives, and yet we’ve got people who are in really significant trauma and loss. Many of them will be uninsured or underinsured and they just need the support of the community around them.”

Edridge said he was working with nearly 40 families, getting them support and temporary accommodation.

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little said they were still finding out the full cost of the storm, but he believes it could be tens, if not hundreds of millions.

“Insurance assessors are still out and about assessing damage,” he said. “It might be some weeks before we know the true cost of these floods.”

Little was calling for donations from locals who could afford to kick in cash or things like furniture, saying some families had lost everything.

Storm claims flooding in

IAG said it had received 509 claims in the Greater Wellington region across AMI, State and NZI – three insurance brands underwritten by IAG, with 351 in Wellington City.

Tower meanwhile reported it had received less than 130 claims from the Wellington region.

The Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake said the Wellington weather event between 18 – 21 April had so far generated 43 claims for natural hazards insurance.

“We expect this number to increase over time as people often have other urgent priorities after events and damage to land doesn’t always show up straight away, and as the ground settles, issues like cracks, slips or drainage problems can become more visible.”

If homeowners were affected by a landslide, Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake provided cover for the home and land.

If affected by a storm or flood, NHC provided cover for land only, with the home to be covered by private insurance.

People rally on storm Givealittle pages

A couple of Givealittle pages have been started for those impacted by the storms with $37,000 already raised for an Ōwhiro Bay family of five who fled their flooded home with only their pyjamas on.

Another Givealittle campaign has raised $6,000 for an 87-year-old woman who was rescued by her son-in-law, Gavin Naftel, and emergency services.

Houses white and yellow stickered in Hutt City

Hutt City Council said five properties had been placarded in rapid building assessments following flooding in the last week.

Of the properties located in Stokes Valley and Eastbourne, four had been white stickered, which meant they were safe to occupy with monitoring, and one yellow stickered, meaning restricted access.

The council said its officers were continuing to work with affected homeowners.

It said as the state of emergency in Hutt City had now ended, further actions will be managed under the Building Act 2004.

The council said its roading network had also held up well with only minor cleanup work required.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand