The inaugural Hindu Economic Forum New Zealand (HEFNZ), which was held on November 23, in Auckland, focused on small businesses and the help they need in understanding the laws and regulations, as well as the compliance requirements in New Zealand.

Raj Tyagi, Organiser of the Forum, which is part of the Hindu Council New Zealand, informed, “Small and Medium scale enterprises in New Zealand are struggling, leading to bankruptcy, and families struggling. We wanted to give a platform to such businesses to interact with policy makers, as well as discuss the changes needed in the Government policy to sustain the SME sector in New Zealand. This was our first major event, but third overall, ever since we were established last year, which aimed to provide a forum for networking, education, advocacy and support.”

The Forum also focused on making SMEs aware of the business investment opportunities in Auckland, Waikato, Kapiti Coast and other part of the country, Tyagi added.

Moreover, various government agency representatives from MBIE, NZTE, and ATEED, who attended the weekend event, highlighted the international business and investment opportunities, as well as the available incentives for start-ups.

On the question of why another trade forum is needed [there already exists two such – Indian New Zealand Business Council and New Zealand India Trade Alliance], Tyagi noted, “We work very closely with them, and I must say they are very active in this regard. The only difference maybe that they are more focused on government-level and major sector-level collaborations. While HEFNZ is focusing on helping small and medium scale businesses in growing across New Zealand.”

-TIN Bureau