The Government is starting work to improve the quality of regulation and boost productivity as part of its 100-day plan. Tonight, it is introducing and progressing under urgency a Bill to repeal the Productivity Commission Act 2010 and disestablish the New Zealand Productivity Commission, Regulation Minister David Seymour says.

“Households and businesses have long found that in order to do something extra, they have to find a saving elsewhere. Finally, they have a Government that is prepared to do the same.

“The disestablishment of the Productivity Commission will provide a source of funding for the new Ministry for Regulation, which will be responsible for assessing the quality of new and existing legislation and regulation, carrying out regulation reviews in sectors that are bogged down in red tape, and clearing out laws that are sapping Kiwi ingenuity.

“As the Commission highlighted numerous times over the years, most of New Zealand's problems can be traced to poor productivity and poor productivity can be traced to poor regulation.

“While much of the Commission’s work has been cited and used by MPs, government agencies, academics, and the media, it has been too easy for successive governments to ignore making productivity a focus.

“This Government is committed to addressing our decades-long productivity problem. I look forward to developing the Ministry for Regulation and carrying out sector reviews that will make New Zealand a more attractive place to do business.

“I acknowledge and thank past and present Commissioners and Commission staff for their work and the contributions they have made through their analysis into productivity in New Zealand.”

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