Business Services branch

I’m Neville Harris, Deputy Secretary of the Business Services branch at the Ministry of Economic Development.

• We provide a wide range of services that help New Zealand businesses operate effectively and grow.
• We manage more than 20 public registers and provide services to business including companies and trusts, insolvency, intellectual property, energy safety, and the radio spectrum.
• We are responsible for the compliance, prosecution and enforcement of a range of business-related legislation.

Our teams

Business Registries (Companies Office)

We are responsible for the administration of public registers, which hold a range of documents and information required, under various Acts, to be filed on a public record by corporate entities, and holders of securities against personal property. The registers relate to Companies, Personal Properties Securities, Incorporated Societies, Building Societies, Charitable Trusts, Unit Trusts, Friendly Societies and Credit Unions. We also manages the Motor Vehicle Traders Register, including business.govt.nz, a whole-of-government website for business information and resources.

Business Service Centre

We provide Contact Centre and eBusiness service delivery to MED clients. We provide service, support and innovation for all BSB Business Units, TECA and other external government departments.

Energy Safety

Our team works with industry to promote and enforce safety in electricity and gas networks, installation systems and products. We provide information, education and advice on energy safety issues for consumers and businesses.

Insolvency and Trustee Service

We administer all personal bankruptcies, no asset procedures and summary instalment orders in New Zealand, and some court-appointed liquidations.  We also manage and dispose of property that is restrained or forfeited under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.

Top

Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ)

We manages the regulatory framework for intellectual property in New Zealand.  A key part of our work is to grant and register intellectual property rights including patents, trade marks, design and plant variety rights.

National Enforcement Unit

We investigate, and can prosecute, offences under a range of legislation relevant, for example, on behalf of Energy Safety, the Official Assignee, the Registrar of Companies, the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Traders, and the Registrar of Radio Frequencies.

Radio Spectrum Management

Our team is responsible for the New Zealand Register of Radio Frequencies, licensing of radio transmitters, compliance and enforcement activities relating to radio licensing, equipment Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements and radio frequency interference (RFI) investigations.

Key links

Companies Office 

Motor Vehicle Traders Register

Personal Properties Securities Register

Energy Safety

Insolvency and Trustee Service

IPONZ

National Enforcement Unit

Radio Spectrum Management