新西兰政府将取消1956年《健康法》（Health Act）下的“有害行业”（offensive trades）登记制度，终止相关企业每年登记的要求，为企业节省时间和成本。监管部长大卫·西摩（David Seymour）表示。

西摩说：“繁文缛节并不是中性的，它实际上相当于对生产力和经济增长征收的一种税。当企业需要花费时间和资金应付不必要的合规要求时，就会分散原本可以用于更重要事务的资源。”

他说，在监管部设立的 Red Tape Tipline（繁文缛节举报热线） 收到相关意见后，政府决定取消《健康法》下从事“有害行业”企业的登记要求。

“这项制度在70年前可能有其存在的理由，但到了2026年，继续保留已经没有意义。”

卫生部长西缅·布朗（Simeon Brown）表示，这项改革早就应该实施。

他说，所谓“有害行业”包括鱼类腌制、皮革鞣制、亚麻浆加工以及传统的粪便收集等行业。如今，这些行业已经可以通过环境法规、行业专项制度、地方议会以及《健康法》赋予的其他监管权力进行有效管理。

“对一个人来说是所谓的‘有害行业’，对另一个人来说却可能是谋生的职业。对于没有必要的合规成本，我们就不应该继续保留。”

改革实施后，相关企业将不再需要提交年度登记文件或缴纳登记费用，地方议会也不再需要负责管理这套制度。

西摩表示，这项改革预计将在未来10年为企业节省最多 226万纽币，并减少数百家企业的行政负担。

“Red Tape Tipline一直在为新西兰人解决实际问题。如果你遇到监管方面的问题，我们希望听到你的意见，并把问题解决掉。”西摩说。

他说，监管部在处理增加企业经营成本的监管规定方面具有独特作用。

“这些监管规定往往由不同政府部门制定，因此需要一个拥有明确授权的部门，主动承担这项工作，与其他部门合作，清理不必要的繁文缛节，让新西兰人能够更加专注于经营企业和创造价值。”

Red tape tipline continues fixing the problems no one else will

The Government is scrapping the ‘offensive trades’ list under the 1956 Health Act (the Act), ending annual registrations for affected businesses and saving them time and money, Regulation Minister David Seymour says.

“Red tape isn’t neutral; it’s a tax on productivity and growth. When businesses spend time and money spent on needless compliance it diverts their resources away from things that matter,” Mr Seymour says.

“Following a submission to the Ministry of Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline we are removing the registration requirement for businesses conducting ‘offensive trades’ under the Act. That no longer makes sense 70 years later in 2026.”

Minister of Health Simeon Brown says the change is overdue.

“So-called ‘offensive trades’ are things like fish curing, leather tanning, flax pulping, and nightsoil collection which these days can be well managed through environmental and industry‑specific systems, local councils and other powers under the Health Act,” Mr Brown says.

“One person’s ‘offensive trade’ is another person’s livelihood and where compliance costs are not necessary, they shouldn’t exist. These businesses will no longer have to complete registration paperwork or pay registration fees, and councils won’t have to administer the regime.”

Mr Seymour says the change is expected to deliver up to $2.26 million in savings over 10 years, saving time and money for hundreds of businesses.

“The Red Tape Tipline continues to deliver for Kiwis. If you’ve got a regulatory problem, we want to hear it and fix it,” Mr Seymour says.

“The Ministry for Regulation is in a unique position to take on regulatory costs that make it harder for Kiwis to get on with business. Because these regulations are imposed by so many departments, it takes one ministry with a mandate for doing the dirty work and working with others to cut the red tape.”