The SME Stream

New Zealand First is backing major changes to KiwiSaver ahead of the election and it's sparked discussion about what this could mean going forward. The party's announced it will campaign on compulsory employee and employer contributions rising to 10 percent, to be offset with tax cuts. Finance Minister Nicola Willis says this will likely be a significant issue ahead of the election, but she's voic...

An economist has raised concerns over NZ First's proposed reform for KiwiSaver contributions - and claimed they're not feasible. NZ First recently promised to make it compulsory and increase contributions from employers and workers to 10 percent - offset by a tax cut. Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub says he approves of the idea of a compulsory scheme, but warns we can't afford a tax-fun...

The New Zealand Super Fund has bucked economic trends.  It's generated returns of nearly 12% over the past year, growing to $85 billion, and it’s suggested it will reach $100 billion by 2028.  CEO Jo Townsend told Mike Hosking that despite the ever-increasing amount of uncertainty in the world, markets have been incredibly strong over the last five years.  She says it goes to...

There are two different types of employees - one who stays low profile, gets what they need to get done, done, and goes home.  Then there's the other, who complains about anything they feel inconveniences them. Is it true that the squeaky wheel get the grease? Or is this a great way to get yourself ruled out when it comes to opportunities and promotions?  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the...

It’s one of those jobs many of us put off - but dying without a Will can leave your loved ones in legal and financial chaos. In fact, if you die without a will, your estate is divided under New Zealand’s Administration Act and there's not much your loved ones can do about it.  Holly Edgerton, founder of online will-planning service Succession joins Nadine to explain why it's...

Amazon Web Services’ highly anticipated launch of its New Zealand cloud region unravelled this week as it nonplussed journalists and the public alike with PR spin that failed to mask the cracks in its narrative.  In a special episode of The Business of Tech podcast to round out the week, Ben Kepes joins me to break down the blunders, highlighting misplaced numbers, poor communication, a...

There’s a view that large tech companies could be challenged to pay more tax.   A report from tax expert Nick Miller says companies like Google take payments from a New Zealand subsidiary and then pay them to an offshore section of the business.    These are listed as service or licence fees, but Miller says they could be seen as royalties, which come under a withholding tax....

Equity markets have taken a turn this September, and it's prompted concerns among experts. Markets are softening a bit, which is a remarkably regular occurrence in September.  Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds reveals what's going on. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts...

A separate argument against major tech firms paying more tax.  A report from tax expert Nick Miller says companies like Google are able to skirt their dues by taking payments from New Zealand subsidiaries, listed as service fees.  He says they could be seen as royalties, which come under a withholding tax.   However, another independent expert in the field, Geof Nightingale, told An...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week, The door has opened for some foreign property ownership, so what’s the new criteria and what will i...

There are fears the Government’s proposal to change who is liable for shonky buildings risks leaving homeowners in the lurch. The Government is proposing to prevent local councils from being lumped with big bills if they consent buildings that turn out to be leaky or defective. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny reveals why homeowners have voiced concerns. LISTEN ABOVE The...

A busy reporting season has concluded for the NZX-listed companies, with some doing better than others. A2 Milk stood out as a success story from this season, but other listed businesses haven't fared so well. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice....

Now, we need to talk about that Amazon announcement yesterday. These guys have taken us for fools in this country. They've looked at us in New Zealand and they've gone, let's take these guys for fools. That $7.5 billion wasn't new, it was already announced by Jacinda 4 years ago. It's not even actually a convincing number, because it looks like what they've done here is included their po...

Nasdaq-listed tech services company Rimini Street is challenging the status quo in New Zealand’s enterprise IT market, offering a striking alternative to the upgrade treadmill set by big software vendors.  On this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, Seth Ravin, founder and CEO of Rimini Street, and Joe Locandro, global CIO, share their vision for how New Zealand enterprises an...

Pic Picot has lived his life like it's one big experiment. He's tried a bit of this, had success with a bit of that, lived on a commune, sailed the Pacific and modified a concrete mixer to roast peanuts in. The latter was the humble beginnings of what you'll now know as Pic's Peanut Butter. The self-confessed hippy joins Liam to talk risk-taking, money-making and the future of the beloved Pic's br...

Labour and National appear to be aligned on the Paris Climate Agreement.   Yesterday ACT called for New Zealand to leave unless the terms of the deal change, but the Prime Minister said no.   Labour's Chris Hipkins echoed Christopher Luxon, telling John MacDonald leaving the deal would cause more harm than good.   He says it would be a disaster for us – walking away from those...

More people are getting mortgages approved as they prepare for the Official Cash Rate to fall further. Latest Centrix figures show mortgage enquiries are up 16% for the month of July and new mortgage lending rose almost 25%. Key Mortgages broker Jeremy Andrews told Andrew Dickens many people are getting approved and just holding off. He says there's been more activity lately - with one client of h...

The Prime Minister is celebrating tech-giant Amazon's continued moves into the New Zealand market.  Amazon Web Services' data centres are now open in Auckland - something that is slated as a $7.5 billion investment. The Prime Minister told Mike Hosking it will create up to a thousand jobs, and make an $11 billion boost to GDP.  Luxon says it’s probably the largest ever publicl...

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters says he wasn't dragged kicking and screaming into a new foreign investors deal.  The Government’s approved changes to allow people with an investor residence visa to buy or build one home, starting at $5 million.  They’re required to invest an extra $5 million into the economy to qualify.  Peters told Mike Hosking he supports the c...

There's hopes the promised 1,000 new jobs created from Amazon's locally based data centres will go to Kiwis. The tech giant's investing $7.5 billion into the Auckland-based centres, which go live today. It'll mean New Zealand customers can use the new cloud region to run workloads and store data locally. Amazon Web Services country manager Manuel Bohnet says they're taking a long-term view with th...

The growing volume of purchases from the likes of Shein and Temu are hitting New Zealand’s import economy hard.  Stats New Zealand has revised the National Accounts, with imports down $2.5 billion in the June quarter.  The average value of parcels has dropped sharply, driven by fast fashion and cheap e-commerce.   Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told Mike Hosking a lot more people...

Stats NZ came out with the latest trade data for New Zealand - and the results show good news for exporters. Exports were up 9.9 percent in the year to June and imports were up 3.2 percent. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham explained further. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the p...

Is this a turning point for the wine industry?  Data shows export volumes are expected to grow 4% to 285 million litres in the year to June 2025.  Export revenue is also forecast to lift to $2.4 billion by 2029.  Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers CEO Brent Linn told Mike Hosking Hawke’s Bay is more domestically focused, with production to export only representing 25% of their mark...

It's no secret that the cost of living has gone a bit crazy these past few years, but insurance seems to be one of the hardest hit. Insurance prices have increased 900% since 2000 - almost triple the increase of tobacco products.  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts...

Chris Bishop has openly called for house prices to fall, saying we need to be channeling more money into the economy rather than having it locked up in housing.  The Prime Minister says we need modest and consistent increases in property prices, to ensure the economy is growing.  So what is actually best for New Zealand and the economy?  CEO of The Property Lifestyle, Nichole Lewis,...