HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 May 2026 – The Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence (HKACE) hosted the HKACE Customer Service Excellence Award Presentation Ceremony cum 26th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon last week at The Regent Hotel Hong Kong. Over 100 awards were presented to recognize outstanding customer service practitioners, with MTR Corporation named the Grand Award Champion as the highlight of the occasion.

Held under the theme “High Tech, High Touch – AI Empowers a New Era in Customer Service”, the event attracted more than 450 guests. The Honourable Algernon Yau, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. The award presentation ceremony was also privileged to have The Hon Shiu Ka Fai, BBS, JP, Member of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Member of the Legislative Council; The Hon Perry Yiu, MH, JP, Member of the Legislative Council; together with representatives of professional associations who served as award presenters. Members of the award judging panels and customer service industry leaders also joined the celebration to recognize the outstanding achievements of the award winners.

Hon Algernon Yau: Government Injected HK$200 Million into BUD Fund to Support AI-driven Digital Transformation

In his opening address, The Honourable Algernon Yau, JP, noted that artificial intelligence was driving customer service into a new era, shifting from human-led operations to a model that integrates data analytics and intelligent systems. Mr Yau stressed that as technology advances, human warmth becomes increasingly precious. He emphasized that true excellence in customer service is built on a customer-centric foundation, requiring service professionals to integrate technology with empathy, sincere communication and personalized attention to achieve a balance of efficiency and human warmth.

“2026 marks the start of the planning and layout for the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan, which prioritizes high-quality development, innovation-driven growth and the deep integration of the digital economy. Hong Kong is proactively aligning itself with the country’s development strategy, contributing its unique strengths to meet national needs. The services sector, in particular, must upgrade and transform. To help, the Hong Kong SAR Government has put HK$200 million into the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund), offering targeted support for AI adoption and helping businesses transform digitally.” Mr Yau stated.

Derek Choi: 40% Surge in Applications Reflected High Competitiveness and Recognition of the Awards

Mr Derek Choi, Chairman of HKACE, said “the Customer Service Excellence Award 2025 received 220 applications – a significant 40% increase from the previous year – reflecting the industry’s growing emphasis on service quality. A total of 102 awards were presented, making the competition exceptionally fierce.”

“Participants had to be nominated by the member companies and submit a written proposal in the first round to be shortlisted among the five finalists for a panel interview,” Mr Choi explained. “An independent judging panel, composed of industry elites and academics, then determined the gold, silver, bronze, and merit award winners. This rigorous assessment process upheld the award programme’s standing.” Mr Choi also extended his heartfelt gratitude to all judging panel members, noting that their selfless dedication and strong support had contributed significantly to the credibility of the awards programme.

Customer Service Excellence Award 2025 Winners Unveiled: MTR Crowned Grand Champion

The Customer Service Excellence Award 2025 featured three main categories – Individual Awards, Team Awards and Programme Awards – alongside the Grand Award. MTR Corporation scooped a total of 15 awards, standing out among a strong field of competitors to be named Grand Champion. HKT Limited and The Hong Kong Jockey Club also secured the 1st Runner-up and 2nd Runner-up of the Grand Award respectively.

Other gold award winners included AIA International Limited, BMW (Hong Kong) Limited, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Cathay Pacific Airways, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong Fire Services Department, Hongkong Post, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited.

Appendix 1: List of Winners of the HKACE Customer Service Excellent Award 2025

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The Government is stepping up support to help small businesses adopt artificial intelligence, with the expansion of the AI Advisory Pilot announced today at the Great New Zealand AI Roadshow in Auckland.

“Expanding practical, on-the-ground support is key to helping businesses turn AI into real productivity gains,” says Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Cameron Brewer. 

“AI has the potential to lift productivity and drive economic growth, with estimates suggesting generative AI alone could contribute up to $76 billion to New Zealand’s economy by 2038.”

“Announced in January this year, the AI Advisory Pilot is delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network (RBPN) and has had strong demand from small business. We are therefore increasing the reach of the pilot by 200%, from 50 business up to 150 business. We are also widening the eligibility so more firms can take part.”

“Eligible businesses can access co-funding of up to 50 percent, capped at $15,000, for expert support to develop and implement AI plans tailored to their business needs.” Mr Brewer says.

Mr Brewer also celebrates the launch by Business Mentors New Zealand of two AI tools that help support business mentors. Both tools were developed with funding delivered by this Government.

“These tools will both provide business intel to mentors, and free them up to do what they do best – provide valuable mentoring support to businesses.”

Today’s announcements were made at the first stop of the Great New Zealand AI Roadshow.

“The strong turnout shows businesses are ready to embrace AI. The focus now is ensuring they have the confidence and capability to use it,” Mr Brewer says.

“The message is clear; AI is not just for large corporates. With the right support, businesses of all sizes can, and do, benefit.”

“This Government backs small businesses to adopt AI, lift performance, and stay competitive in a fast-changing global economy.”

Notes to editors:

Two tools are below:

The Mentoring Assist AI tool will improve how one on one mentoring conversations are captured, recorded, and supported.
The Digital Mentor tool will strengthen the support available to Business Mentor New Zealand’s network of more than 1,500 mentors. This will provide them with 24/7 access to anonymised business insights to help mentors prepare for sessions and provide guidance across key business areas, including strategy, finance and marketing.”

The AI Advisory Pilot has also been extended to run until 31 January 2027. For more information, businesses can contact their local Regional Business Partner or visit: Find your local Regional Business Partner – Business.govt.nz
More information on Business Mentors New Zealand’s AI tools can be found at: Business Mentors New Zealand
The Great New Zealand Roadshow will be visiting other centres including, Nelson 27 May, Napier 2 June, New Plymouth 4 June, Tauranga 11 June, Hamilton 16 June, Wellington 18 June, Christchurch 25 June, and a Virtual Event on 1 July. More information and tickets can be found at: The Great NZ AI Roadshow | AI New Zealand

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Jointly Building an AI Ecosystem Embedded with “Computing Power + Talent + Scenario” in Central Asia

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HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 May 2026 – As part of the VinFast Global Business Conference held from May 4 to May 10, 2026, VinFast announced the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with 29 aftersales partners at the 2026 Global Business Conference. Organized by VinFast, the event marked the first time more than 200 investors and partners who have accompanied and will accompany VinFast across North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kazakhstan have gathered together, representing another milestone in the company’s strategy to expand its global service network.

Under the MOUs, international partners are expected to establish EV service workshops that meet VinFast’s global standards in their respective markets. VinFast will ensure uniform, high-quality service through globally-standardized technician training and certification programs, consistent operating procedures and quality control systems, as well as a parts supply network targeting delivery of common spare parts within 24 hours in key markets.

The new agreements are part of VinFast’s long-term strategy to develop a comprehensive EV ecosystem aligned with its international standards, covering aftersales services, charging infrastructure, and customer support. This expansion is expected to further accelerate the transition to electric mobility while ensuring VinFast customers receive support throughout the entire product lifecycle.

VinFast’s international strategy is built on the operational foundation and aftersales capabilities it has already proven in Vietnam. By the end of 2025, VinFast had developed nearly 400 service workshops nationwide, bringing its total global network to nearly 800 facilities.

Building on this foundation, VinFast aims to expand to more than 1,100 service workshops globally in 2026, spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The network will be deployed through multiple models, including dealerships serving retail customers, fleet and transportation business clients, and third-party local service workshop partners.

At the same time, VinFast is implementing a range of customer support policies, including repair time commitments in Vietnam, replacement vehicle support in international markets, as well as battery inspection, software updates, and technical support throughout the ownership experience.

As part of the conference, international partners also visited VinFast’s manufacturing complex and the broader Vingroup ecosystem to gain deeper insights into VinFast’s production capabilities, operational scale, and global growth strategy.

Mr. Bui Viet Hung, Deputy CEO of Global Aftersales of VinFast, said: “Our goal is not simply to expand the network, but to build a customer-centric aftersales ecosystem that delivers an outstanding experience on a global scale. Through partnerships with experienced local operators and the application of VinFast’s global standards, we aim to provide aftersales services that are exceptional, responsive, and reliable. We also aspire to bring Vietnam’s five-star service culture and spirit of dedication to the world, creating a unique experience for international customers. That is VinFast’s long-term commitment to the transition to electric mobility.“

In addition to expanding its aftersales operations, VinFast continues to develop an integrated EV ecosystem that includes products, services, and charging infrastructure through partnerships with strategic partners such as V-Green and local charging infrastructure operators. Through this partner network, VinFast aims to develop a system of more than 1.5 million charging ports globally, helping expand access to charging infrastructure and deliver a seamless, convenient EV ownership experience for customers in international markets.

Hashtag: #VinFast

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The Government is strengthening plant variety rights (PVR) to protect investments underpinning high‑value exports, regional jobs and global demand for New Zealand produce, Trade and Investment and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer say.

“High‑value horticulture relies on years, often decades, of breeding, testing and commercialisation. Strengthening the Plant Variety Rights Act 2022 gives New Zealand the intellectual property settings it needs to compete internationally, protect our investment and grow export returns,” Mr Brewer says.

“From drought-resistant grass seed that benefits pastoral farmers, to higher-yielding and better-tasting produce for New Zealanders and our export markets, these changes will provide vital support for growers,” Mr McClay says.

“In 2024, 75 per cent of the $3.5 billion in export returns from kiwifruit and an estimated 55 per cent of the $979 million in export returns from apples came from plant variety rights‑protected varieties. This shows the vital contribution that new plant varieties make to growing export earnings and taking us closer to New Zealand’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports in 10 years.

“A successful sector means thriving communities, economic growth, secure jobs and a prosperous economy.”

“Zespri’s projections show that extending the PVR term by five years for SunGold Kiwifruit alone would mean additional revenue of around $1.8 billion over five years from the time of the extension, to the kiwifruit industry and the Biosecurity Science Institute,” Mr Brewer says.

“Growers will also benefit from additional returns as PVR varieties maintain their market value for longer, allowing growers to continue to build high value demand ahead of supply.

“Directly and indirectly we all benefit when our domestic growers are thriving. 

“Breeding and importing new varieties can be a long, expensive and uncertain process. Breeders and importers take a significant risk, and we need to ensure they are supported in this process.”

The Government is also restoring provisional protection, so breeders are covered from day one of their rights application instead of when it is granted.

“This means plant breeders can take immediate legal action if new varieties are stolen and commercially exploited during the application process, which can take up to five years and sometimes much longer,” Mr Brewer says.

“By providing greater certainty and support, we are empowering plant breeders to keep innovating – driving economic growth and ensuring New Zealand remains competitive on the world stage,” Mr McClay says.

“The National-led Government is fixing the basics and building the future by making common-sense changes for industry that help support more opportunities for New Zealanders.” Mr Brewer says.

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• Manufacturing activity eased to 50.5 from 52.8 in March – above 50 is expansion.
• Two of the five sub indexes are in contraction – new orders and deliveries of raw materials.
• Employment was strongest sub index at 53.4.

The manufacturing sector expanded in April but only just, as the impact of the fuel crisis started to bite.

That and the war in Iran appear to be dampening activity in the manufacturing sector.

The sector did expand in April according to the latest BNZ-BusinessNZ Performance of Manufacturing Index (PMI). However the growth was marginal, with the PMI for April coming in at just 50.5. A reading above 50 indicates the sector is growing.

The April result was down from 52.8 in March and 54.6 in February.

The long-term average for the index is 52.5.

“The Performance of Manufacturing Index had been remarkably robust with the headline reading for March down on previous months but still solidly above the break-even line,” BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis said.

“However, we feared it was only a matter of time before the wheels started to fall off and, alas, the April survey indicates that time may now have arrived.”

The war in Iran and the impact on fuel prices was of increasing concern for firms in April, according to BusinessNZ director of advocacy Catherine Beard.

“The proportion of respondents highlighting negative influences on their business performance was 63.6 percent, compared to 62 percent in March. And many of the comments focused on the effect of the war against Iran on freight and fuel costs, as well as its impact on deliveries of raw materials.”

Two of the five sub-indexs were in contraction, with new orders 48.2 and deliveries of raw materials at 46.5.

Employment was the strongest sub index at 53.4.

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Climate Change Minister Simon Watts has released guidance and tools to help New Zealanders take part in voluntary nature and carbon markets with confidence.

“The Government wants to support the growth of voluntary markets that are trusted and able to deliver real benefits for nature, the climate and wider economy,” Mr Watts says. 

“Activities like restoring a wetland and planting natives are nature-based solutions that remove carbon from the atmosphere, protect our biodiversity and even reduce the impact of flooding.

“Businesses, corporates and philanthropists, here and overseas, want to invest in New Zealand’s projects because they value our reliable geopolitical landscape and strong environmental reputation.  

“Strong and credible voluntary markets can deliver real benefits for the climate, environment and economy. But investors must be able to trust they’re buying high quality credits and can make transparent claims, so they’re not accused of greenwashing.”

The refreshed guidance will help participants understand what high-quality, projects should look like. 

“Under the guidance, principles describe what qualities buyers should look for to be confident they are investing in projects that make solid environmental claims. Carbon activities must be additional, durable, real and measurable. They must also be transparent, not double-counted and respectful of rights,” Mr Watts says.

The release of the guidance and tools supports the Government’s approach to grow New Zealand’s voluntary nature and carbon markets announced earlier this week.

“The same principles underpin the Government’s endorsement of high-quality schemes and methodologies announced earlier in the week. This will make it easier for project suppliers – developers, farmers, landowners, iwi, conservationists and community groups – to build high integrity projects which will help them attract more funding,” Mr Watts says.

Also announced today are online guidance and a tool to help organisations explore other carbon removal options. This follows the Assessment Framework for Carbon Removals released last year.

“This tool supports businesses to prepare to submit an application for scientific assessment. It will help people understand whether an activity is scientifically robust, cutting out uncertainty,” Mr Watts says.

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National grid operator Transpower will not be prosecuted after all over the toppling of a pylon that cut power to about 90,000 homes and businesses across Northland.

The Electricity Authority lodged a formal complaint against Transpower last year, alleging the state-owned company had breached the Electricity Industry Participation Code by not maintaining its assets in line with best industry practice.

The pylon, at Glorit, north of Auckland, fell over during routine maintenance in June 2024 after contractors removed the nuts from three of its legs at once.

Transpower could have been fined up to $2 million if a breach had been proven.

However, on Thursday the Electricity Authority said Transpower had since provided new evidence, and an international expert had found Transpower met the required standards.

As a result, the Electricity Authority had dropped its complaint – but it was now considering whether the standards needed to be changed, or whether a different approach was needed to “reflect New Zealand’s specific circumstances”.

In particular, the current code did not apply to outside contractors, such as the French-owned company Omexom, which was working on the pylon at the time.

The authority said it was “considering whether the concept of good electricity industry practice is fit for purpose, including in circumstances where industry participants may contract out significant parts of their functions”.

Meanwhile, Transpower welcomed the authority’s decision to drop the complaint.

Executive general manager grid delivery Mark Ryall said it confirmed the company’s position that its processes and systems were “consistent with good industry practice”.

“An independent report found the tower fall was caused by a crew working for our service provider failing to follow approved processes and procedures. It also highlighted that, despite strong systems and oversight, human error can still occur.”

Ryall said the tower fall should never have happened, and apologised for the impact on people and businesses in Northland.

Since then Transpower had strengthened its oversight of service providers, to make sure their practices were robust and their crews had the correct skills and training.

“We continue to work hard with our service providers to improve our practices to ensure that we can prevent an incident like this happening again,” Ryall said.

A report ordered by then Energy Minister Simeon Brown shortly after the accident made 26 recommendations for Transpower, Omexom, the Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

All 19 recommendations for Transpower have since been carried out.

In November last year Sydney-based law firm Piper Alderman started class action against Transpower and Omexom on behalf of the roughly 20,000 businesses affected by the outage.

The firm did not specify how much money it was seeking, but economic consultants Infometrics estimated businesses had lost $60 million as a result of the power cut while the Northland Chamber of Commerce put the figure at $80m.

In the months after the collapse, Northland’s Chamber of Commerce and local MP Grant McCallum pushed hard for compensation from Transpower and Omexom.

Eventually, the companies agreed to give $500,000 each to a “resilience fund” supporting projects with long-term benefits for Northland.

About 180,000 people were affected by the outage.

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

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Commerce Commission chair John Small is encouraging collaboration between industry players where it can drive competition, productivity and economic growth.

While cartel legislation restricts collaboration between competing parties, Small said accommodation and exemptions can be made when the goals are in the public interest.

“A much wider range of practices and structures can also be authorised even if they substantially lessen competition, provided that there are sufficiently large offsetting public benefits,” he said, speaking to a conference aimed at promoting and encouraging competition.

However, he said industry players need to get clearance from the commission before embarking on any discussions.

“If you genuinely believe that collaborating with a rival will be better for New Zealand, give us a call and we’ll be genuinely delighted to help test your thinking and keep you safe.”

Small said there would be winners and losers as market competition increased.

“There’s always a loser when firms capture market share from each other in regular competition.”

However, he said that was not a reason to leave things as they were, given the negative effect of weak competition in critical industries.

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The country’s natural gas reserves have declined to the lowest level since records began twenty years ago.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s annual petroleum reserves data showed as of 1 January, natural gas reserves declined 23 percent from last year, to 731 petajoules.

The ministry said the decline was in line with operators’ field information and expected production.

The gas in the data is what is known as 2P gas, or proven plus probable – gas a producer expects to be commercially recoverable.

The biggest decline was at the Pohokura field, which reported a 129 petajoule decrease of 2P.

The decline was put down to a revision of estimates, rather than the gas’ ability to be extracted.

Around half of the remaining P2 gas (51 percent) is at the Turangi field.

New Zealand’s contingent gas reserves (gas which is known to exist but is not commercially recoverable) were down 3 percent from last year, to 1,950 PJ.

The ministry said this was partly due to some of the contingent gas at the Mangahewa field being promoted to the reserves.

Based on production profile data, the ministry expected 85 petajoules of gas to be produced in 2026.

Energy minister Simeon Brown said falling gas supply was a real problem for households and businesses.

“Gas is used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on when the sun’s not shining, the wind’s not blowing, and the lakes are low,” he said.

“Without enough gas to back up renewable generation, power bills go up, factories shut down, and Kiwis lose their jobs.”

Brown said it highlighted why the government was taking actions like reversing the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, and procuring a liquefied natural gas import terminal.

“Every other comparable country in the OECD has access to secure, diversified gas supplies. New Zealand is the outlier, and we need to secure affordable energy,” he said.

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Indian negotiators threatened to walk out of trade talks with New Zealand over its persistent efforts to include dairy, New Zealand’s chief trade official says.

Vangelis Vitalis revealed the detail to MPs on Thursday to help explain the “big disappointment” of the Indian free trade agreement (FTA), that being the limited gains for the dairy sector.

Appearing before Parliament’s trade select committee, Vitalis said India “flatly refused to even engage” on typically orthodox elements of trade negotiations, like butter, cheese and milk powders.

“There were moments when there were threatened walkouts, including at ministerial level, when we persisted in seeking an outcome for dairy.”

Vitalis said the talks were “extremely difficult” on that point, noting that no other country had ever secured access for those products.

He said New Zealand did manage to eliminate tariffs on bulk infant formula and some protein-based products. “It’s not nothing.”

Vitalis also talked up the gains in other areas, noting progress on products which were “super sensitive” in India, like apples, kiwifruit and honey. All three products will face reduced tariffs up to a certain quota under the deal.

He said the deal also put New Zealand on “even footing” with its key competitors like Australia, which had pulled ahead of New Zealand in key products like sheep meat since securing its own agreement in 2022.

Before then, New Zealand accounted for 85 percent of India’s imports of sheep meat. That had since dwindled to just 9 percent.

Vitalis said the FTA would give New Zealand exporters greater options in an increasingly challenging environment.

“The jungle is certainly growing back. Things are becoming more turbulent, more uncertain, and all of the major trading blocs in the world are increasingly ignoring or breaking those international trade rules on which we’ve relied for so long.

“The system is battered and bruised… but it is not yet broken.”

Questions about migration, investment

Vitalis also faced questions from MPs on two key aspects of the FTA which have proved contentious across Parliament.

New Zealand First triggered the coalition’s agree-to-disagree clause, allowing it to oppose the deal, arguing it would have “ludicrous immigration implications”.

With encouragement from National MP Tim Costley, Vitalis stressed the FTA contained “important safeguards” around migration.

The FTA introduces a dedicated pathway for up to 5000 Indian professionals over three years through Temporary Employment Entry (TEE) visas.

Vitalis said those applicants had to undergo all the usual character and health tests, and find work only in areas with a “genuine shortage” of workers. There was also no pathway to permanent residence or citizenship – and a three year stand-down.

“After you’ve had your visa for three years, you must leave, and you cannot reapply for three years.”

Vitalis also played down any changes around student benefits, saying Indian students were currently allowed to work 25 hours a week while they studied. He said the agreement included an guarantee that would never fall below 20 hours.

Both Labour and NZ First have also expressed concern about a commitment to promote up to US$20 billion of New Zealand private sector investment in India over 15 years.

Vitalis said the commitment was “very carefully drafted” and India “well understood” that it related only to promotion.

“It is not to reach the target…. We do need to show and demonstrate to India that we are promoting investment there. But it is clear that the New Zealand government cannot give or invest 20 billion US dollars.”

Asked whether India could revoke concessions if it deemed New Zealand had not lived up to its obligations, Vitalis said he did not believe that would occur.

“If we were in that situation, then, more fundamentally, the bilateral relationship with India is in serious trouble.”

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The Government has introduced legislation today which provides Police with the power to issue move-on orders as a tool to deal with disorderly behaviour in public places, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“Our government is committed to fixing the basics in law and order, and building a future where everyone feels safe to visit, work and live in our central cities.

“Unfortunately, our streets and town centres have endured unprecedented levels of disruption in recent years. Many people no longer want to be there. Businesses, residents and visitors are paying the price.

“We currently have many tools to help those who are in need, including access to one of the most generous welfare systems in the world, but we have limited tools to deal with disorderly behaviour. It means many disruptive, distressing, and potentially harmful acts can occur before police officers have any means of intervention. This legislation changes that.

“Only people who breach those orders will face prosecution. A move-on order on its own, is not a criminal charge.

“This is about reclaiming our streets and our city centres for the enjoyment of everybody who visits, works and lives there.”

Under this legislation Police will have the power to issue move-on orders to people who are: 

• Displaying disorderly, disruptive, threatening or intimidating behaviour.
• Obstructing or impeding someone entering a business.
• Breaching the peace.
• All forms of begging.
• Rough sleeping.
• Behaviour indicating an intent to inhabit a public place.

These orders will: 

• Require a person to leave a specified area for a specified amount of time, up to 24 hours.
• Require a person to move on a reasonable distance from the area, as specified by the constable.
• Apply to people aged 14 or older.
• Be issued in writing or electronically, as is operationally appropriate.

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Analysis – Nicola Willis has put her money where her mouth is and reduced her Budget’s operating allowance for a third year running.

For years, the Finance Minister has been relentless in her criticism of the previous minister, Grant Robertson, and his extensive operating allowances – $5.9 billion in 2022 and $4.8b in 2023 – promising to rein in spending and prioritise fiscal discipline.

In her first Budget in 2024 she told reporters in the lock-up that she was “weaning off the addiction to spending” that Robertson had created over six years of a Labour government.

At that year’s Budget, an operating allowance of $3.5b had been forecast, which was ultimately reduced by $300 million to $3.2b.

Last year the slashing was even more aggressive when a forecast $2.4b allowance was chopped in half by her pre-Budget speech to just $1.3b – a reduction of $1.1b.

And on Wednesday the Prime Minister delivered the news for her, telling a Business NZ audience in Auckland that the forecast $2.4b allowance had been nudged down by $300m to $2.1b.

Those operating allowances are tight, but critics will find it difficult to describe them as austerity, especially with the likes of the Taxpayers’ Union arguing the number should be closer to zero.

Singing from that same songsheet traditionally is the ACT Party. When leader David Seymour was asked at Parliament on Wednesday whether he would have liked the cuts to go further, he said his aim would have been a “less than zero” Budget.

“Speaking as the ACT leader, yeah, I think we need to be a lot tougher on reducing the deficit and reducing government spending, but also speaking as the Deputy Prime Minister, I’m proud to be part of this government and I know that we wouldn’t have made the level of savings we have [without ACT].”

Seymour said the savings had ACT’s fingerprints all over them and his ministers were the ones at the Cabinet table putting pressure on the coalition to make “careful use of taxpayer money”.

Willis told RNZ on Wednesday that if it weren’t for the fuel crisis her operating allowance reduction would be larger and more in tune with the cuts seen last year.

“It is the case that without the fuel crisis, yes, we may have been able to have an even tighter allowance, but my view is that we have achieved a great deal by reducing our forecast operating allowance, ensuring that we’re building up buffers for the future, keeping New Zealand financially secure.”

The buffers are needed more than ever given the increasingly volatile world countries are operating in, where in the space of a few weeks a US-Israel attack on Iran can shoot petrol prices at the pump in New Zealand beyond $3 a litre.

That’s required unexpected support packages that are already chewing up some of the operating allowance put aside for this year’s Budget to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

While the operating allowance restraint speaks direct to Willis’ narrative over the past two-and-a-half years, this year’s Budget is accommodating a $2.2b increase on what was forecast for capital expenditure – up from $3.5b to $5.7b.

Christopher Luxon addressed that increase, saying “the recent crisis has acted as a timely reminder that significant levels of capital investment will be required in the coming years”.

But he also signalled it didn’t reflect a “permanently higher rate of borrowing” and that in the years ahead a balance would be found between saving and borrowing.

Seymour also defended the increased capital spend saying it was to deal with “things that are yet to be announced, that I think are significant and timely investment”, adding that in later years in the fiscal cycle the capital expenditure would reduce.

While Budgets are drastically impacted by global and national events and disasters – think the Christchurch earthquakes, the Covid-19 pandemic, or the ongoing fuel crisis – they’re also shaped by individual government’s political decisions.

Willis will be commended by many for slashing the operating allowances at each of her Budgets to date, but remains open to criticism from other quarters about both what the coalition cut and continues to prioritise spending on.

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Cost-of-living pressure has started to hit the housing market.

The Real Estate Institute says that its data for April is the first clear sign that the weight of cost-of-living pressures such as higher fuel costs, food prices, insurance and local body rates has been influencing buyer decisions in a meaningful way.

The number of sales fell 7.9 percent year-on-year in the month, and 2.1 percent when seasonally adjusted compared to the month before.

“The impact was not uniform, however. Regions with higher vehicle dependency and lower median household incomes, including Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu-Whanganui, and Marlborough, saw the largest softening in activity, consistent with pump prices hitting household budgets most directly in those areas,” the institute said.

“Canterbury, Southland, and Otago continued to record solid sales activity, though this reflects the relative strength of their local market fundamentals rather than any insulation from cost pressures.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said it was quite a big shift.

“Probably just as important was the fact that you saw prices that pulled back further. Back in March, you had a little bit more of a lift pre-crisis coming through both on a monthly and annual basis.

“Whereas the change in prices in the month of April showed that level of pressure [on buyers] … What’s also clear looking at the numbers is that there is a bit more or the continued North-South divide. The further down the country you go, the generally better economic results or housing results were coming through.

“Figures for the likes of Otago and Southland were looking a whole lot more upbeat than what you were seeing in, say, Auckland.”

The institute said the market was in a “testing mid-cycle position”, past the initial shock of the war in the Middle East and into the secondary effects, as well as facing the potential for an official cash rate increase sooner than expected.

It said an election year also meant buyers and sellers were likely to make decisions more slowly.

The median sales price eased by 0.6 percent year-on-year to $775,000.

The house price index, which is designed to smooth out movements caused by a change in the sales mix, was down 0.9 percent year-on-year and Auckland’s was down 2.8 percent.

Olsen said the 0.9 percent fall was one of the largest back to the start of last year.

But eight of the 16 regions the institute tracks recorded year-on-year increases in median prices. The largest lifts were in Southland and Northland, both up 6.2 percent, Gisborne, up 4.3 percent, and Waikato up 3.4 percent.

Olsen said what happened next depended a bit on the wider inflation picture,

“You’ve got more expensive fuel, you’ve got interest rates likely increasing, you’ve got everything else that was expensive beforehand as well. But it’s also sort of the confidence knock that you’re seeing.

“Consumer confidence isn’t at a fantastic level at the moment … people have fallen back quite a bit in terms of where they think the economy is heading. And so a lot more people might well hunker down, I guess, to a greater degree.

“That does moderate expectations heading forward. And I guess the challenge probably out there in the market will be what’s going to drive that stronger level of demand that would pick up prices and sales activity and similar.

“It’s just hard to figure out what that would be in the current climate when everyone’s feeling much more downbeat. And again, you wouldn’t feel like people would be rushing out to go and purchase housing because they will be worried about, potential increases in interest rates and job security, their general higher cost of living, all of those elements likely to hit.”

He said any nascent momentum in the market looked to have stalled.

The number of properties for sale lifted 3.9 percent year-on-year.

Nationally, 14.1 percent of sales were via auction, up from 13.7 percent in April. In Auckland, almost 23 percent of sales were by auction.

The institute said the looming prospect of an OCR increase in the coming months meant that the housing market no longer had the tailwind of expectations of falling interest rates.

“The key question for May and June is whether listings continue to build faster than sales can absorb them as we move into winter.”

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

Transformational Acquisitions Expected to Contribute to Long Term Growth Starting 2Q26

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

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 May 2026 – HGC Global Communications (“HGC” or “the Group”), a fully-fledged ICT service provider and network operator with extensive global coverage, yesterday hosted its fourth annual Partner Day, bringing together more than 200 industry leaders, representatives from industry associations and government organization from over 80 companies across various ICT sectors worldwide.

Under the theme “Navigating the Digital Frontier, Accelerating Collective Success”, the gathering underscored HGC’s deepening partner alliance and its positioning as an AI Enabler and Service Company Group that is leveraging owned infrastructures to enable individuals, enterprises and international business partners to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies application at scale.

Bridging AI Ambition and Reality: The AI Enabler Delivering Integrated Services

In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, HGC is sharpening its position as an AI Enabler and Service Company Group, focused on turning enterprise AI ambition into secure, scalable and operational reality.

As an AI enabler, HGC delivers the critical foundations corporates need to deploy and operate AI with confidence. This includes AI-ready infrastructure and high-speed, low latency connectivity linking data centres and cloud environments for AI workload; intelligent operations platforms, such as the award-winning, self-developed GodEye, which enhances network management and service delivery; end-to-end AI lifecycle support spanning testing, rollout, monitoring and optimization. Equally critical, HGC embeds AI governance and security to ensure AI solutions remain compliant, resilient and fully controlled. Positioning as a service backbone, HGC enables customers and partners to focus on value creation and innovation.

These fundamental capabilities are underpinned by HGC’s identity as a Service Company Group, where value is created through one-stop shop service, expertise and accountability, rather than one-off service delivery. HGC owns the full operating journey – from solution design and deployment to 24/7 monitoring services and ongoing optimization. Combining human expertise with AI‑driven intelligence, HGC delivers long‑term, subscription‑based partnerships that ensure enterprise AI systems remain secure, reliable and future‑ready.

Strong Performance in Various Market Sectors Reflect the Winning Strategy

The practical impact of being an AI enabler that provides integrated services was demonstrated across different market sectors:

Corporate Business: Under its customer-centric approach, HGC’s ICT business combining digital infrastructure, ICT services intake drove a 6% year-on-year growth in vertical expansion. HGC’s Corporate & Enterprise business continued to deepen its engagement across eight major sectors in Hong Kong, including FSI, government, education, logistics, property, retail, professional services, and trading & manufacturing. Backed by deep industry expertise and long-established customer relationships, HGC provides integrated end-to-end solutions covering secure connectivity, cybersecurity, managed services, and digital transformation capabilities. This continued momentum was reflected in Q1 2026 performance, where gross profit from cybersecurity solutions increased by 32% year-on-year, while SME data bandwidth subscription grew by 12%.

International Business: HGC is building the backbone of its AI regional infrastructure, with OTT number of customers up 20% year-on-year in Q1 2026. Under the East-West Gateway Project, a Memorandum of Understanding with Johor Capital Group, it is creating a next-generation digital infrastructure hub in Johor, integrating submarine landing points, terrestrial networks, data centre interconnects and internet exchanges to serve one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing AI data centre clusters. By simplifying network implementation, HGC gives enterprises, service providers and OTT providers greater flexibility to connect across diverse data centres. Additionally, HGC has obtained a strategic pilot approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, to engage value-added telecommunications services in Chinese Mainland. This milestone supports the country’ digital economy, facilitating the opening-up of China’s telecommunications market and more Chinese Mainland enterprises to go global.

Consumer Market: HGC’s consumer business continued its steady upward trajectory in Q1 2026, driven by strong growth in 2Gpbs and above high-speed broadband subscribers, which record a 39% year-on-year increase. The robust uptake reflects rising customer demand for high‑capacity network services, reinforcing the competitiveness of the Group’s premium residential broadband offerings. HGC also marked a key milestone with the launch of HGC Mobile, a new brand extending HGC’s footprint into mobile telecommunications services. The new brand delivers a highly flexible, best in value “network-on-the-go” experience, further strengthening engagement across HGC’s residential customer base through a more integrated suite of connectivity solutions.

Andrew Kwok, Chief Executive Officer of HGC, said, “I would like to extend my deepest thanks to every partner who joined the HGC partner day – a true convergence of the East and the West, and demonstrates the strong alliance and important future that we are building together. I am equally grateful for the consistent support of local governments that have helped to make our vision a reality. Your belief in open, collaborative digital infrastructure gives us the confidence to push ahead. As we navigate a landscape being rewritten by AI, HGC will continue to embrace the challenges ahead with our partners, turning headwinds into shared opportunities.”

At the panel discussion featuring speakers from A & A Limited, Byteplus and CBC Tech, together with HGC experts explored how the entire AI ecosystem, from infrastructure to cloud to application, can tackle shared challenges and accelerate adoption. The dialogue reflected HGC’s commitment to uniting diverse players across the ICT landscape.

“At HGC, we will continue to seize every opportunity that the shifting landscape creates, not by chasing trends, but by staying true to our core strengths while transforming our business model in pace with the market. The advancement to AI Enabler and Service Company Group is just the beginning. As we look ahead, HGC will remain resourceful, flexible and relentlessly adaptable, building highways for AI adoption so that our partners can focus on driving value. I am confident that together, we will turn the uncertainties of this AI era into the defining opportunities of this generation,” concluded Andrew.

Hashtag: #HGC

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

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

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today outlined the need to secure New Zealand’s future in an increasingly volatile world, focusing on economic resilience, energy security, defence, international relationships and disciplined economic management.  

“We can’t control the storm, but we can secure New Zealand’s future within it,” Mr Luxon says. 

Speaking to BusinessNZ ahead of Budget 2026, Mr Luxon said New Zealand had for decades relied on a world order that had become unstable and unpredictable.  

“For too long we’ve assumed our location protects us, that an ocean and a quiet reputation are enough. They aren’t. Geography gives us time, but it doesn’t give us immunity.

“This is the world New Zealand must now navigate – not with fear, but with clear eyes and a willingness to make the tough choices that will allow our country to achieve its massive potential.”

The Prime Minister set out the Government’s focus on strengthening energy security, securing trade relationships across the Indo-Pacific, lifting defence capability and maintaining social cohesion in a more uncertain world.  

“We can’t have prosperity – more jobs, more opportunity, and higher wages for hard working Kiwis – without security.”  

Mr Luxon also said global turmoil reinforced the importance of responsible economic management and fiscal discipline ahead of Budget 2026.  

“We are getting the books in order while continuing to invest in the essentials – health, education, defence, law and order, and infrastructure. That requires ongoing reprioritisation, because the alternative is more borrowing or higher taxes – and ultimately a weaker economy.”

The Prime Minister confirmed the Government remains committed to returning the books to surplus by 2028/29 and putting debt on a downward trajectory towards 40 per cent of GDP.

He also confirmed that net operating spending on new initiatives in the Budget will total $2.1 billion – about $300 million less than the $2.4 billion allowance set in December. 

“Small countries can only live on credit for so long. Between 2017 and 2023 Government debt blew out by $120 billion, but eventually the bill must be paid to ensure we aren’t heaping higher taxes or larger debt on future generations. 

“Being able to withstand international shocks depends on the size of the buffers you have. Budget 2026 will help rebuild those buffers to restore New Zealand’s financial security.”

MIL OSI