New Zealand's Unique Investment Advantages

As New Zealanders, we should wake up each morning thankful to live in such a beautiful country. Our scenic wonders are unmatched and we are internationally regarded as a prime and sought after tourist destination. However, our environment and our people aren't all we have to offer. New Zealand also offers unique advantages in business, and our investment environment is safe and prosperous. This article will investigate why New Zealand is a great place for your investments.

Key Awards and Statistics

An under reported fact is that New Zealand has recently ranked first in the world in three investment categories:

1. Protecting Investors (World Bank Doing Business Report 2013)
2. Starting a Business (World Bank Doing Business Report 2013)
3. Lack of Corruption (Transparency International Corruption Index 2012)

Anti corruption agency Transparency International continues to rank New Zealand as Number One for honesty and integrity in its public sector, having now achieved this status for seven consecutive years. Thus, New Zealand offers an unmatched record of safety for your investments that currently no other country can match.

Our economy is in a stronger position than many western economies, having weathered the brunt of the world economic crisis and emerged in a healthier state when compared to states in the European Union and the USA. Whilst no economy can be said to be invulnerable, we are relatively isolated from the travails in Europe and the US and have strong ties to emerging and thriving economies in Asia.

We boast a wide range of free trade agreements with other nations, a simple tax code (the third lowest in the OECD in terms of time taken for taxpayers to comply with tax obligations, December 2010) and an absence of import tariffs or Government subsidies, facilitating both domestic and foreign investment.

List of Nations New Zealand has Free Trade Agreements With:

- China
- Australia
- Vietnam
- Phillipines
- Cambodia
- Brunei
- Indonesia
- Hong Kong
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Laos
- Singapore
- Chile

Negotiations are also under way with India, Korea, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and New Zealand is a key driver behind the Trans Pacific Partnership.

A 'Can Do' Culture

If you need an environment that fosters success, banishes negativity and finds innovative solutions all built upon a foundation of entrepreneurship, dedication and hard work, New Zealand is the place. As a smaller nation of less than 5 million people, New Zealand achieves big on the world stage even with fewer resources than its chief competitors. This is a testament to the attitude of the New Zealand people and the positive business environment they have cultivated, in which more is made from less and we seldom take no for an answer!

Esteemed Position and Strong Currency

Finally, New Zealand is among the top 20 rated sovereign nations in the world. Standard and Poors gives New Zealand an AA+ Local Currency Rating, an AA foreign currency rating and an AAA T&C assessment. Furthermore, the New Zealand dollar is trading very strongly against the $US the Pound Sterling and the Euro, meaning that making New Zealand dollars through investments will go a long way in the international marketplace.

Source Credit: http://www.nzte.govt.nz/en/invest/new-zealands-investment-advantage/

If you are interested in making investments and taking advantage of our country's unique advantages, email Ross Wallace (Authorised Financial Adviser) at ross@spratt.co.nz.

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Ross Wallace (AFA) profile.