The Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline, an online resource where members of the public can make submissions on regulation that affects them, is now live.
Minister for Regulation, David Seymour said the Ministry wants to hear about “red tape horror stories”.
“From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour.
The Minister said billions of dollars are sapped from New Zealand’s economy every year from regulatory burden.
In 2015, an NZIER study estimated the cost for businesses to comply with tax and regulatory requirements at $5 billion, or around 1.3% of GDP.
“Compliance associated with poor regulation costs New Zealanders time, money, and their sanity. It’s not just that red tape has disempowered people and businesses, it is replacing the No. 8 wire, can-do Kiwi attitude with a culture of fear and paperwork,” said Mr Seymour.
“We want to hear from tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, engineers – every person doing productive work. If there’s red tape in your industry that needs cutting, we want to know about it. The Ministry might not be able to resolve every issue that’s brought to its attention straight away, but we are keen to understand more about experiences with regulation.
“If red tape is holding you back, it’s likely holding back others. We want to avoid imposing unnecessary costs or restrictions on New Zealand businesses and workers.”
Feedback will help flush out bad regulations that need to be removed, prioritise future regulatory reviews, and identify legislation that needs change, said Minister Seymour.
“It has become too difficult to work, save and invest, and Kiwis have had their productivity sapped because of the time spent complying with edicts from Wellington. We’re committed to restoring New Zealand’s ‘can do’ attitude.”
Find more information on regulation here: quick guide.
