Latest / Best of Business / Catherine Beard: BusinessNZ Advocacy Director explains the benefits of encouraging investment in New Zealand

Transcript

Catherine Beard: BusinessNZ Advocacy Director explains the benefits of encouraging investment in New Zealand · Best of Business

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: You're listening to a podcast from News Talks be follow
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Prime Minister is promising he's going to use the budget
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: to make our business environment more attractive. In a couple
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: of weeks. He said initiatives to develop talent and promote
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: competitive business settings will feature prominently now. Catherine Beard is
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Business New Zealand's advocacy director and with us. Hey Catherine, Hey,
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: good afternoon, Any idea what he's talking about.
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: Look, there was not a lot of detail. That was
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: just a flag. But what he did talk about, which
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: we were quite pleased about, was confirming support for the
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: R and D tax credit system that we've got, So
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: he confirmed that they'll be keeping that, which we were
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: a bit worried about. So that's very good. We need
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: to be doing R and D and every country typically
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: has some sort of incentive for business to do R
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: and D, and ours is it's in place. It's probably
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: not as competitive as some other countries, but we absolutely
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: need it and he's confirmed that that's staying, so that's good.
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: Refocusing the Crown Research Institutes into three or four entities
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: we think will work better, having a bigger focus on
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: commercialization etc.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Now, how is it possible for him to make it
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: easier for businesses both local and international to invest here.
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: Look, I don't think it would be that hard, to
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: be honest, because we've been one of the worst places
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: to all the hardest places to invest in the OECD.
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: So they will be having a look at the Act
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: because the Act needs fixing up. It's got a very
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: narrow definition of what is sensitive land, which is anything
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: over five hectares, So the Act needs changing. But the
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: Investment Office which they're setting up will be much more
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: like a confuge sort of treatment for investors and they
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: will have the door flung open and the welcome matt
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: put out and they will be connected and you know,
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: it will be much more of a hands on service
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: and they'll be connected to opportunities and I think, you
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: know barriers. If they're running into problems, you know it
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: will be taken to a high level and the problems
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: will be resolved.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: Okay, good stuff, Catherine, looking forward to it already. That's
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Catherine Beard, Advocacy director at Business New Zealand.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: For more from News Talks ad B listen live on
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio,