The government’s $40 million a year tourism spending boost was a waste by comparison with adding those funds to the pot to encourage high value manufacturing and service industries, the Treasury advised before the May budget. The advice is contained in an aide memoire on April 5 to Treasury suggested to Finance Minister Bill English and Economic Development Minister Steven …

Tourism Holdings, the rental campervan operator which merged with two rivals last year, has told the receivers of Pacific Horizon it’s available to pick-up any customers left out in the cold, but won’t buy the failed firm’s assets. The Auckland-based company has already approached KordaMentha’s Brendon Gibson and Grant Graham, who were appointed receivers of Pacific Horizon yesterday, to help …

he New Zealand dollar edged up in volatile trading after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke emphasised the central bank’s asset purchase programme could be reduced more quickly or expanded depending on economic conditions. The kiwi traded at 79 US cents from 78.70 cents at the 5pm market close in Wellington yesterday. The local currency traded between 78.39 US cents and …