Labour promises small businesses easier access to government contracts

The Labour Party would make it easier for small businesses to get government contracts and cut down the time they spend on paperwork, if elected.The party would set a target so 15 percent of government contracts went to small businesses and start-ups. It would also break up bigger contracts into smaller jobs so work was easier to bid for.Labour also wants to change how government agencies share information. It is proposing a New Zealand Business Number so businesses would not have to give the same information to multiple agencies.Finance and economy spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said in a media release that the government bought around $50 billion of goods and services annually."Small business owners don't want a handout, they just want a fair go," she said."Government is the biggest customer in the country, buying around $50 billion of goods and services annually. That means huge opportunities for local businesses, from printing and landscaping to IT and building maintenance," she said.Revenue spokesperson Deborah Russell said paperwork and compliance costs wasted too much time and money and the party would review tax administration, including provisional tax, filing requirements and January and February deadline pile-ups."We'll also look at agency information-sharing arrangements so that businesses don't have to tell the government the same thing over and over again." she said.