New Zealand is set to host a high-profile global investment summit in March, with around 100 investors, business leaders, and construction companies expected to attend.
The summit, announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop as part of the first Quarterly Action Plan for 2025, aims to boost economic growth and attract foreign investment.
“The Government is relentlessly focused on accelerating the growth New Zealand needs to lift our incomes, strengthen our businesses, and create opportunities for all Kiwis,” Luxon says.
“That means we need to stop saying ‘no’ to growth opportunities like foreign investment and start saying ‘yes’.
“To make it clear we are open for business, the Government will host an international investment summit in March, highlighting partnership opportunities for overseas investment across our economy that will boost growth.
“I will open the summit and many cabinet ministers will be at the event to share the Government’s ambitions and plans over the two days.”
The initiative is part of the Government’s broader strategy to jumpstart the economy through foreign investment, regulatory reform, and infrastructure development. Luxon highlighted the launch of Invest NZ, a new agency dedicated to attracting investment, as well as recent visa changes to entice international investors.
“This is one of many announcements the Government will be making over the coming weeks and months as part of our ambitious Going for Growth plan,” he says.
Meanwhile, Bishop emphasised the role of foreign investment in addressing New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges.
“The investment summit will bring together around 100 leaders from global investment and construction companies, among others, to showcase our infrastructure vision and highlight upcoming investment and development opportunities.
“As well as showcasing upcoming infrastructure opportunities for partnership and investment, the summit will highlight changes to policy, regulation, and legislation that make it easier to do business here, along with other investment opportunities in a range of growth sectors and the Māori economy.
“Attendees will be left in no doubt that New Zealand is a country worth investing in,” Bishop says.
Luxon outlined a range of measures aimed at driving economic expansion.
“The plan has a strong focus on boosting growth through initiatives such as upgrading visa settings, delivering smarter regulation for our agriculture sector, and reshaping our planning rules so that people can get stuff done in this country.
“We have hit the ground running with many of the priorities in our Q1 plan already ticked off, including allowing digital nomads into New Zealand and laying the groundwork for AI to improve public services,” Luxon says.
The summit will take place in Auckland from March 13-14.
