|
Reconstruction package for Tonga
New Zealand will provide up to $2 million towards a reconstruction package to support business recovery in Tonga following November's riots, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced this week. Around 136 businesses were affected by the riots with severe repercussions for the Tongan economy. New Zealand will contribute to a Business Recovery Fund which will target small to medium size businesses, offer a business advisory service, loan subsidies for up to two years, and a credit guarantee scheme. The scheme has been jointly designed by New Zealand, Australia and the government of Tonga. The package will be funded by a reprioritisation of New Zealand's existing $10.1 million annual bilateral aid programme with Tonga. Australia and the government of Tonga are also likely to contribute to the fund. New Zealand provided $500,000 in assistance to Tonga immediately after the riots, funding expertise in areas of revenue loss, insurance loss adjusters, prosecution, defense and administrative law/constitutional reform.
Settlement strategy launched
Migrant and refugee newcomers to Auckland will benefit from a joint local and central government settlement strategy and action plan unveiled this week by Immigration Minister David Cunfliffe. The Auckland Regional Settlement Strategy supports and advances the migrant work already underway nationally as part of the New Zealand Settlement Strategy, as well as the Labour-led government's broader work to transform Auckland into a world-class city. Forty-eight initiatives will be implemented as part of the strategy, including a pre-employment programme for unemployed and unskilled refugees and an interpreter service that will be developed as a regional pilot.
Funding boost for maternity services
Health Minister Pete Hodgson announced that an extra $11.4 million will be invested in primary maternity services from 1 July. The announcement was made at a meeting with key maternity stakeholders in Wellington yesterday. The funding will be allocated through the Section 88 Maternity Notice, which is the contract through which the Government pays for primary maternity services. Announcing the new funding, Pete Hodgson acknowledged the high-quality of maternity services in New Zealand and called on the College of Midwives, the Medical Association, district health boards and the Ministry of Health to work together to seek further improvements in the services provided to expectant mothers.
Bilateral progress
Efforts to further the development of an Australia-New Zealand Single Economic Market were underscored by the annual bilateral between New Zealand Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen and Australian Treasurer Peter Costello in Wellington on Monday. The Ministers agreed to start the process of negotiating a revised double tax treaty between the two countries and to investigate the feasibility of trans-Tasman private retirement savings portability. The bilateral also included discussions on regional economic developments. Ministers discussed their shared interests in a range of important international meetings, particularly APEC, which Australia is hosting in 2007, and the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting.
New register for charities
The Charities Register was launched this week marking the beginning of a new era for charities in New Zealand. The Charities Commission is now able to receive applications for registration under the Charities Act 2005. Registration is voluntary. Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban said the registration process will ensure that only genuine charities gain registration - that is, those organisations who advance religion, relieve poverty or have a purpose that is otherwise beneficial to the community as their main purpose. The new Charities Register will lead to increased transparency of charitable organisations and will help to strengthen the public's trust and confidence in the charitable sector, the Minister said. Benefits of registration include income tax and gift duty exemption, a greater level of public trust and confidence, representation at the Charities Commission's Annual Meetings and extra visibility for charities to potential donors and supporters.
Record tourists
International arrivals were up 1.6 per cent in 2006, with 2.4 million people visiting New Zealand, Statistics New Zealand figures show. Tourism Minister Damien O'Connor said he was delighted with statistics out today showing more people visited New Zealand last year than ever before. The government and the tourism industry are in the process of updating the successful tourism strategy, to move with a changing world market, and the new figures provided a real confidence booster, he said. Anecdotal evidence and conversations with the industry suggested that summer business is solid despite some poor weather.
|
|
|
