The Companies Office giving NZ helping hand
Media Release
The Companies Office dedicated to giving New Zealand Business a helping hand
Reducing the cost of conducting business online has been the focus of the New Zealand Companies Office for the last ten years.
From Monday 8 August searching information on registered companies will become easier. The Companies Office has increased the amount of free information available from its site www.companies.govt.nz. The one dollar search fee will now only be required where a searcher wishes to view imaged documents. All other details will be free.
Ministry of Economic Development's Group Manager Business Registries, Justin Hygate says, "the Companies Office is constantly seeking ways to make its services easier for New Zealander businesses."
A key enhancement made to the existing online services is free access to company details, including directors, address and shareholder information - a result of consultation with Companies Office clients.
The Companies Office is celebrating ten years on the internet this year; in 1995 it was the first Companies Office in the world to allow access to its register over the internet.
The innovations keep coming and in 2005 the Companies Office and the Inland Revenue Department launched a cross Government initiative where businesses are able to apply for an IRD number at the same time as registering their company online, providing a streamlined service for new businesses.
"The Companies Office and Inland Revenue are on the way to establishing a fully automated service to make the business start-up process faster."
Other enhancements made by the Companies Office, include the capacity to amend share totals online and the ability to receive the Certificate of Incorporation of any registered entity via email. A more user friendly standard search option allows clients to return to their previous search results and an online Registry Key request process is available on the Societies and Trusts website, www.societies.govt.nz.
Enhancements such as these will benefit those looking to start a business, and current users of the Companies Office's online services.
ENDS