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Katherine Rich: Business NZ CEO on the follow up report on reducing compliance costs for small businesses · Best of Business

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks Be follow
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  Speaker 1: this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: New report this one into the government's promise to cut
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  Speaker 2: sme red tape. Are they yes? So what have we
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  Speaker 2: got a year on positive steps in reducing compliance cost?
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  Speaker 2: Most issues are showing progress, so this is all good.
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  Speaker 2: We've seen the hairdressing regulations of course, the employment leave disputes,
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  Speaker 2: the government procurement, the anti money laundering rules changed anyway.
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  Speaker 2: Catherine Rich is the Business New Zealand boss and is
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  Speaker 2: back with us. Catherine, good morning, Good morning. From what
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  Speaker 2: they've done out of ten, ten is perfect, ones a bust.
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  Speaker 2: What's your number?
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  Speaker 3: I'd say about a seven. I mean there's more progress
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  Speaker 3: to be made in a number of areas. But changes
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  Speaker 3: to some of the things you mentioned are pretty significant.
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  Speaker 3: Changes to government procurement, getting rid of forty years of
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  Speaker 3: stupid hairdressing laws, health and safety, holidays acts. It's a
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  Speaker 3: lot of good work. Some haven't engaged though, so this
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  Speaker 3: room for progress.
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  Speaker 2: The Ministry of Regulation. Is this all they're doing, and
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  Speaker 2: therefore is this justifiable ministry?
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  Speaker 3: They have been part of the change. I mean, they
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  Speaker 3: are another place for business to take some of their concerns.
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  Speaker 3: But when the Business New Zealand Network did this survey
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  Speaker 3: of small business, we actually took the results to about
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  Speaker 3: seven different government departments. So most of the government departments
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  Speaker 3: have been engaging, some haven't.
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  Speaker 2: Is that part of why the Ministry of Regulation may
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  Speaker 2: well work? There are too many government departments overseeing each
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  Speaker 2: other's work and therefore it becomes problematic and unproductive.
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  Speaker 3: Well, it's another way in to raise issues, So that's
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  Speaker 3: why I am a fan of the Ministry for Regulation.
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  Speaker 3: It's been a way of raising issues with departments, particularly
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  Speaker 3: if the department doesn't want to put stuff into their
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  Speaker 3: work program. So overall, I think the progress has been good.
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  Speaker 3: One year on. We're pretty pleased with some of the
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  Speaker 3: responses from departments, but there's work to be done. Acc
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  Speaker 3: I think need to make some changes on case management
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  Speaker 3: and helping business businesses clarify when people can get back
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  Speaker 3: to work. Business U Zealand's a champion for the small business,
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  Speaker 3: so this is just another way we keep the pressure.
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  Speaker 2: On good But the hairdressing. As much as I'm all
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  Speaker 2: in favor of getting rid of red tape and all that,
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  Speaker 2: so the hairdressing stuff was almost comedic, wasn't it. I
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  Speaker 2: mean stupid laws, yes, and get rid of them. Yes,
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  Speaker 2: But it didn't change the world, did it.
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  Speaker 3: Well, it's still a sector which is about which is
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  Speaker 3: worth about one point five billion to the economy and
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  Speaker 3: if you were in that sector, it was a big deal.
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  Speaker 3: And this is the thing with small business red tape.
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  Speaker 3: When you've got ninety seven percent of all businesses being
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  Speaker 3: small and the red tape that they face can be significant.
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  Speaker 3: So you've got to go sector bisector to get rid
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  Speaker 3: of it. That's about the only way to reduce red tape.
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  Speaker 2: All right, Catsine, appreciate your time. Let's hope they keep
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  Speaker 2: up the good work. Catherine Rich, who is the Business
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  Speaker 2: New Zealand Chief Executive
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