Agreement on what constitutes a Māori business is a vital step in measuring the contribution Māori businesses make to the Aotearoa New Zealand economy, Stats NZ said today.
A cross-sector working group is developing a definition of Māori business. The report Māori business definition: Consultation findings | Te Tautuhitanga umanga Māori: Ngā hua o te whakawhitiwhiti korero was released today and reveals a strong level of support for an agreed definition.
“A clear and consistent Māori business definition will help ensure coherent data collection and reporting about Māori businesses and their contribution to the economy,” Stats NZ Kaihautū Rhonda Paku said.
The report follows a draft definition put out for public consultation in October and November 2021, and consultation with Māori business representatives in focus group sessions.
The consultation asked the public for feedback on a proposed definition: A Māori business is a business that is owned by a person or people who have Māori whakapapa, and a representative of that business self-identifies the business as Māori.
Feedback published in the report showed support for the whakapapa and self-identification criteria of the proposed definition. However, the responses highlighted the diversity of views on the definition of Māori business.
“Stats NZ and the cross-sector working group want to thank all who made submissions and provided their thoughts on the draft definition.”
The final Māori business definition is expected to be released as a data standard in July 2022.
