Cabinet has agreed to its next steps in its war on the country’s supermarket duopoly, set to be announced by the Finance Minister on Sunday.
Willis took over responsibility for the supermarket delegation this month, after newly appointed Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson proactively identified a conflict of interest, understood to be a close family member owning a supermarket.
Andrew Bayly had been doing the job but quit his ministerial warrants last month after an incident with a staffer in his office.
RNZ understands Willis, who is also Economic Growth Minister, will this weekend announce decisions taken by Cabinet to incentivise and encourage a third player into the market.
It’s required sign-off by Cabinet on several additional levers it can pull to improve access.
Those levers could be related to tax incentives or infrastructure assistance, for example, government-owned land being freed up at significant sites for a new operator.
While Willis has already indicated there is interest from businesspeople in New Zealand considering consolidating to create a supermarket chain, she has also been working on how to incentivise an international player entering the market.
NZ Herald
Face of the Day
Willis took over responsibility for the supermarket delegation this month and will announce decisions taken by Cabinet to incentivise and encourage a third player into the market.
Related
Face of the Day
‘I can say quite honestly, they’re not in the league of the best I’ve seen’ – Winston Peters
Face of the Day
Gifford became one of the country’s most recognisable sporting voices, but for generations of Christchurch listeners he was equally well known as one half of a hugely successful radio partnership with Simon Barnett.
Face of the Day
His whānau described Rurawhe as a pillar of their family and acknowledged his deep connection to the Rātana faith and its legacy.
Face of the Day
“Barbara Edmonds will be the minister of finance. She is the best qualified person in parliament to be the minister of finance. That is a bottom line. It’s not negotiable” – Hipkins
Latest
Digital ID rollout targets four million credentials by mid-2028 as eight govt projects kept secret
Government documents reveal a target of issuing four million digital credentials by mid-2028, while officials are withholding details of eight further credential projects across five agencies.
What are the ‘9 new taxes'?
National’s “nine new taxes from Labour and their mates” slogan combines policies from Labour, the Greens, Te Pāti Māori and Opportunity.
Mortgagee sales on track for highest total since 2020
New Zealand’s mortgagee sales are on track to reach their highest annual total since 2020, OneRoof reports.