Latest news with #Kiwis'
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Scrapped Surcharges A Win For New Zealanders
Hon Scott Simpson Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Surcharges will be axed to put money back in Kiwis' pockets, says Commerce and Consumer AffairsMinisterScottSimpson. 'Surcharges are a hassle and an unwelcome surprise when shoppers get to the till. That pesky note or sticker on the payment machine will become a thing of the past. 'We're banning surcharges so consumers can shop with confidence knowing how much they will pay for their purchases. 'New Zealanders are paying up to $150 million in surcharges every year, including excessive surcharges of up to $65 million. That's money that could be saved or spent elsewhere. 'By May 2026 at the latest, we will ban surcharges for in-store payments. Shoppers will no longer be penalised for their choice of payment method, whether that's tapping, swiping or using their phone's digital wallet.' The ban follows the Commerce Commission decision to reduce interchange fees paid by businesses to accept Visa and Mastercard payments, a move to save businesses around $90 million a year. 'Surcharges cover the fees businesses pay for accepting contactless payments and credit cards, but we know these are often excessive. 'In some cases, the retailer doesn't even make it clear what the percentage is. 'A ban on surcharges means no more surprises for people who currently feel like they're being charged to use their own hard-earned money. It means they can make a purchase knowing exactly what they'll pay, and how they'll pay it.' Notes: The Retail Payment System (Ban on Surcharges) Amendment Bill is expected to be introduced by the end of this year. The ban will apply to most in-store payments made using domestic Mastercard, Visa debit, credit cards and EFTPOS. Transactions through the Visa and Mastercard networks and by EFTPOS are the main method of card payment in New Zealand. The Commerce Commission estimates New Zealanders pay about $150 million in surcharges annually including $45-$65 million in excessive surcharges. The Commerce Commission has already announced lower interchange fees paid by businesses to accept Visa and Mastercard payments. Interchange fees make up approximately 60% of merchant service fees. In the United Kingdom and across the European Union, surcharges for debit and credit cards for designated schemes are banned. Australia currently has surcharging on debit and credit cards, but this must be no more than the cost to retailers of accepting these cards. The Reserve Bank of Australia has recently proposed banning surcharges altogether for EFTPOS and Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards.
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Agribusiness and Trade: NZ food security at risk as dairy, meat prices soar, says KPMG
Using dairy products as an example, he says in the interests of food security and protecting New Zealand's 'brand' – an export marketing feature on which it heavily leans - farmers could opt into voluntary domestic pricing initiatives through their milk processors with a portion of their production priced to meet Kiwis' needs for healthy and nutritional food at a reasonable cost. In the interests of food security and protecting New Zealand's 'brand' – an export marketing feature on which it heavily leans - farmers could opt into voluntary domestic pricing initiatives through their milk processors with a portion of their production priced to meet Kiwis' needs for healthy and nutritional food at a reasonable cost. Photo / Bloomberg The carrot to any buy-in by farmers will be the reassurance that New Zealand is investing in bioeconomic tools and systems to ensure the whole of their farming system - not just the milk or meat - is monetised, Proudfoot says. He cites the wine industry as an example of where an entire farming system could be monetised. In wine production only about 2% of the product becomes wine. All the leafy matter, and the woody matter left over from pruning vines has had 'huge' money invested in their production but becomes unutilised waste, he says. 'It could be a bioenergy source. It could be thinking about what's an active ingredient in the leaves that we can extract? It could be thinking about how we use the grape waste creatively? 'If we can say to farmers we are investing in a bioeconomy which offers all these other business opportunities, then the idea of finding circular solutions for everything they are growing and asking them to give up a small percentage of their price on a small percentage of their production starts to make sense.' To the suggestion that farmers, already burdened by high costs, would throw their hands up in horror at the idea, Proudfoot says on the contrary, he is sure some would like to protect the New Zealand brand and help build resilient domestic food security. 'If we don't have the ability to be resilient, to ensure that our people here in New Zealand have food security, it can very quickly become a part of how the food we export is viewed – are we exporting at the expense of our society?' Proudfoot says food security is still under-prioritised among the 200 agribusiness leaders whose insights formed the 2025 Agribusiness Agenda, despite an increased global focus and action on food security challenges. 'Food security is national security', he says, and despite data showing higher food insecurity among Kiwis due to the cost-of-living crisis, the subject recorded the lowest-score since surveys started. Biosecurity ranked top priority for the 15th year running. On whether farmers would support a domestic price, Proudfoot says internationally, initiatives haven't stopped because they didn't get 100% support. 'The price of food is under constant direct or indirect regulatory pressure ... in some countries it is set by the Government , you can't sell it for more than that price. But in many other countries what we are seeing, and that's definitely the case in New Zealand … is governments are looking to manage the cost of living because of the political consequences and they are putting pressure on supermarkets in particular not to increase the price of food. We're basically seeing it all over the world. 'It's not a question of will the farmer be able to generate enough money from selling their food. We think the answer to that is probably no, but actually how you ensure the farmer is able to monetise the full value of their farming system and be able to gain a return for 100% of what they grow. 'How do you monetise and get a return for the biomass you grow alongside the food you're targeting to produce, how do you ensure you are paid for the way you act in your farming system, the way you grow, look after biodiversity, water. 'It's the answer for a much more secure farming and food system and it also enables us to think much more about how we ensure local domestic food security.' Proudfoot's Agenda this year also calls for a national food and fibre data exchange to unlock value and accelerate innovation, with surveyed agribusiness leaders citing poor data quality, challenges integrating technologies into farming systems and unclear returns-on-investment as barriers. He says it's time New Zealand 'started having the sort of conversation the rest of the world has been having for a number of years' about bioenergy and a bioeconomy. Overseas, agribusiness leaders talk about the three Fs - food, fibre and fuel, he says. 'Why are we only able to talk about food and fibre, not the fuel part of the equation? 'When I sit down with clients all over the world, so often the conversation hasn't started with how much butter has been exported or what countries they're exporting to, but very often it's what the farmer is doing with farmer and grower partners in connecting them up to energy. People are starting to work out that a big part of the answer to our energy challenge sits within the farm gate. Ian Proudfoot 'There's a lot of talk about green co-ops in villages and towns in Europe and a lot of talk about investment into anaerobic digestors or other forms of bioenergy. You come back to New Zealand and the conversation just hasn't been happening. 'We must be one of the best places in the world to grow biomass, and climate change makes us even better. People are starting to work out that a big part of the answer to our energy challenge sits within the farm gate.' Proudfoot reckons the most important job in New Zealand agribusiness right now is held by Mark Piper, chief executive of the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science, launched this month. A public research organisation, it was formed by merging four Crown Research Institutes, AgResearch, Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research, and Scion. 'The priority of this organisation is how we ensure we connect our farmers to the bioeconomy, whether it be the energy part or the animal feed part, other forms of fuel replacement or whatever. It is so important because that is the future for a resilient food sector.' Proudfoot says a stark message relayed to him by KPMG offshore agribusiness teams was that 30% of farmers in 14 key food-producing countries in Europe plan to quit farming in the next 10 years because it doesn't make economic sense any longer. 'I've tested that in New Zealand, Australia and the US and it's probably the same. We have that risk of people deciding it's not worth farming any longer ... if we can't make farmers economically resilient they will stop making food, and if food doesn't arrive at the back door of the store, it's not available at the front door.' Ian Proudfoot: Opening up opportunities Some years, Ian Proudfoot looks back at the KMPG Agribusiness Agenda he's just published and thinks: 'Why are they just not getting it?' Why are agribusiness leaders whose insights form the Agenda not 'getting' that food security or energy, for example, should rate higher on their top-of-mind issues? 'But that just means I'm not communicating properly and I have to do better,' says KPMG's global head of agribusiness, lead author of the project that recently marked its 16th year. The Agenda is Proudfoot's baby. He created it and writes most of it. It's a love-hate relationship, he says. Writing up the priority issues of the 200 agribusiness leaders surveyed can be an all-consuming grind. But gathering the information and knowledge that goes into the publication is a joy. 'They are fascinating conversations. We start with a blank piece of paper and you never know what themes will come out. 'People look forward to the Agenda. They engage with the content ... it has helped change the perspective of people towards not just thinking about volume and price but the broader opportunities … 'It has contributed to change in the narrative in the food and fibre sectors. Some of the things talked about have been adopted and are now accepted. 'But there are still some areas we've got to keep banging away on. 'I'll keep banging away on the fact we have to focus on how to build a vibrant, growing, sustainable ocean economy. 'The bioeconomy is a massive opportunity but one we are underplaying, I think.'
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Kiwi batter Devon Conway replaces injured Finn Allen for T20I tri-series against Zimbabwe, South Africa
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): Devon Conway, Mitch Hay, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Robinson set to join the New Zealand T20I squad for the upcoming Tri-Series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, according to the ICC website. The triangular series will kick off on July 14 with a contest between the host Zimbabwe and South Africa, while New Zealand will feature in their first encounter on July 16 against South Africa. Each side will play the other twice before a final, which will be played on July 26. Wicketkeeper-batter Conway replaces Finn Allen, who missed the series due to a foot injury he picked up while playing in the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States of America. A recovery timeline will be put in place for Allen upon further consultation in New Zealand. Hay, Neesham and Robinson join the squad as additional cover for Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, who are in the Major League Cricket tournament final scheduled on Monday. The Kiwis' head coach, Rob Walter, was disappointed that Finn Allen wouldn't be a part of the setup. 'We're really gutted for Finn, I was looking forward to working with him and to see him continue his form from the MLC, but unfortunately, injuries happen. We're lucky to be able to call on someone of Devon's quality to replace Finn,' Rob Walter said. Tri-series fixtures: July 14 - Zimbabwe v South AfricaJuly 16 - South Africa v New ZealandJuly 18 - Zimbabwe v New ZealandJuly 20 - Zimbabwe v South AfricaJuly 22 - New Zealand v South AfricaJuly 24 - Zimbabwe v New ZealandJuly 26 - Final. (ANI)
Techday NZ
11-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Rocket Mobile tops NZ value rankings for unlimited data plans
Rocket Mobile's unlimited data plans have been identified as the lowest cost mobile plans in New Zealand, according to the latest Telecommunications Monitoring Report from the Commerce Commission. The Commerce Commission assessed a range of mobile offerings in its annual report, ranking Rocket Mobile's unlimited data plans first, second, fourth, and sixth based on price per gigabyte (GB). This positioning placed Rocket Mobile ahead of established mobile network operators in terms of value for data offered to consumers. Ranking and recognition The report from the Commerce Commission, detailed on page 244, evaluated the comparative cost-effectiveness of a range of plans offered in the New Zealand market. Rocket Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), was highlighted for providing four of the six top-ranked unlimited data options by cost per GB. James Whittome, Head of Rocket Mobile NZ, commented on the results, stating the findings support the provider's standing in the national market. "We've already won Best Value Mobile Provider at the NZ Compare Awards for the past two years. Having all four of our unlimited plans ranked at the top of this ComCom list really highlights how other providers are overcharging consumers for mobile data." Market dynamics The annual Telecommunications Monitoring Report examines industry shifts within New Zealand, including market share changes among providers. The report noted that the MVNO market showed a significant annual growth rate, with share increasing by 61 percent year-on-year. Despite this, MVNOs represent only 2.5 percent of total mobile connections in the country. MVNOs, such as Rocket Mobile, were found to typically include comparable plan features to those offered by mobile network operators (MNOs) but at reduced prices. The Commission's data also highlighted persistency in consumer behaviour, with 63 percent of New Zealanders remaining with the same mobile provider for over five years, an increase from 60 percent the year prior. Only 5 percent of users switched providers during the last twelve months. "Cost of living is at the forefront of Kiwis' minds at the moment, so switching to a better value plan should be a no brainer. Yet there's still a misconception that it's a difficult process." Whittome further commented on switching behaviours, identifying inertia and misconceptions as central challenges for consumers seeking to benefit from lower mobile plan prices. "The only way we're going to see some real change and more competitive prices in the mobile market is if more consumers move to MVNOs like us. Since we launched, we've already seen some big telcos respond by slightly increasing data inclusions on selected plans, but overall they're still relying on inertia to keep the status quo," said Whittome. He continued: "This ComCom report should be a wakeup call to Kiwi consumers that they're still paying too much for their data, and there's no reason to keep it that way when you can switch and get the same or even more, for less money." Outlook and eSIM adoption The report also covered trends in consumer technology adoption and mobile data usage, both of which are rising across the country. Whittome is optimistic that more consumers will investigate MVNOs as an option, citing technological improvements as a contributing factor. He said, "With rising mobile data usage rates, Whittome is confident more consumers will consider MVNOs for lower cost mobile plans, especially when technologies like eSIM enables easy switching within minutes." Rocket Mobile states that its entire range of plans is compatible with eSIM technology, allowing customers to transition to their service quickly. Customers are able to retain their existing phone numbers at no cost and have access to plans without credit checks, contracts, or early termination fees. The findings from the Commerce Commission Monitoring Report are based on nationwide data and provide insights into cost structures, consumer habits, and the state of competition in New Zealand's mobile sector.
Scoop
09-07-2025
- General
- Scoop
Industry Lobby Group's ‘Fishy' Marine Protection Claims Under Fire
Environmental groups, marine scientists, and iwi representatives have today called out lobby group Seafood New Zealand for its egregious greenwashing of New Zealand's commercial fishing industry. In an open letter published today, the signatories accuse Seafood New Zealand of misleading the public with its repeated and unsubstantiated claims that Aotearoa New Zealand has already achieved the global target of protecting 30% of its ocean territory by 2030. 'Claiming New Zealand has already protected 30% of our ocean is utterly disingenuous and creates a dangerous illusion of progress – when in reality, less than 1% of our ocean is highly protected and our fragile marine species and habitats remain exposed to immense harm,' says Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, Chief Executive of WWF-New Zealand. Seafood New Zealand continues to argue that New Zealand has already protected 30% of its ocean because it counts a type of protection known as 'Benthic Protection Areas' (BPAs). While these areas restrict bottom trawling and dredging on the seabed, they still allow midwater trawling, longlining, and other extractive industrial practices to continue unabated. They fall wildly short of 'highly protected' as defined by internationally recognised standards. Even the Department of Conservation acknowledges BPAs don't protect sufficient biodiversity to meet the standard of a Marine Protected Area. 'These areas were chosen – by industry – because they had little impact on commercial fishing operations, not because they protect biodiversity. Most of these zones were never bottom trawled in the first place - because they're simply too deep for it - and in many of them, harmful industrial fishing practices are still rampant. That's not protection – it's pulling the wool over Kiwis' eyes,' says Dr Kingdon-Bebb. 'Calling BPAs 'protected areas' is a dangerous distortion that risks delaying the urgent action needed to safeguard ocean health. It gives the public and policymakers a false sense of progress while deep-sea corals, seamounts, and vital habitats for our declining native species and key fish stocks remain under immense threat.' Dr Kingdon-Bebb says Seafood New Zealand's continued peddling of misinformation does a disservice to many of New Zealand's commercial fishing companies. Fishing company Sealord, for example, has publicly backed the 30% ocean protection target – and acknowledged the significant effort still needed to reach this goal. 'There are commercial fishing companies genuinely trying to do better, but they're being undermined by an industry lobby group more interested in greenwashing and spin. That needs to change,' says Kingdon-Bebb. Since 1970, the health of some of Aotearoa New Zealand's commercial fish stocks have plummeted. In the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana, scallop and crayfish fisheries have nearly collapsed. Our country's waters are home to half the world's whale and dolphin species, but 22% of marine mammals are now on the brink of extinction. More species of seabird breed in Aotearoa than anywhere else on earth – but a staggering 90% are now threatened or at risk. 'With our marine life on the brink and New Zealand lagging behind the rest of the world in ocean conservation, we urge Seafood New Zealand to stop overstating the nation's marine protection efforts and instead back meaningful, inclusive, science-led conservation that upholds Māori rights and interests. Our fragile marine environment deserves more than paper parks and poorly executed PR spin. It needs real protection,' says Kingdon-Bebb. The full list of signatories to the open letter include: Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, WWF-New Zealand Dr Russel Norman, Greenpeace Aotearoa Nicola Toki, Forest & Bird Professor Conrad Pilditch, Marine Scientist, University of Auckland Professor Simon Thrush, Marine Scientist, University of Auckland Professor Daniel Hikuroa, Earth Systems Scientist, University of Auckland Vince Kerr, Marine Ecologist, Kerr and Associates Nicola Rata-MacDonald, Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition Natalie Jessup, Endangered Species Foundation Daren Grover, Project Jonah Anna Campbell, Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust Karen Saunders, Native Bird Rescue James Gibson, BLAKE Tom Karstensen, New Zealand Underwater Association Jenny Craig, Dive Pacific
