IN-CONFIDENCE

26 September 2023

Rashid Ameer
[FYI request #24011 email]

Tēnā koe Rashid Ameer

On 5 September 2023, your request under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act) was transferred to the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry).
You requested the following information:
I am a private tertiary institution lecturer at IPU New Zealand Palmerston
North. I am keen to examine the financial market performance of the
COVID-19 wage subsidy recipients ( only those registered businesses with
employees of more than 20). I intend to compare their financial market
performances with those companies that got jobkeeper subsidies in
Australia throughout 2020-2022. I have already obtained the information
on Australian companies from the Australian treasury website.
I have come across the COVID-19 wage subsidies-employer search tool from
the following website
[https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fse
rvices.workandincome.govt.nz%2Feps%2Fsearch&data=05%7C01%7CMin
isterialServices%40mbie.govt.nz%7Cb011ffc6199a44ea072308dba9ce17d
c%7C78b2bd11e42b47eab0112e04c3af5ec1%7C0%7C0%7C63829047485
1949806%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjo
iV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sda
ta=uQnNGOTFnzUm8iepTo6Brp7UKMhatAK12HUDCsg2VBs%3D&reserved
=0], but it is very time-consuming to search for individual employers.
•
I request you to provide the list of employers (with more than 20
employees).
The Wage Subsidy Scheme has enabled rapid support for thousands of New
Zealand businesses during a time of uncertainty and ensured that employees
were able to remain connected with their employers during the COVID-19
lockdowns. The scheme was set up on a high-trust model in order to quickly
deliver funds to support workers, families and businesses.
The Ministry developed an online search tool with close involvement from the
Privacy Commissioner to ensure compliance with the Privacy Act 2020.
Employers with fewer than three employees were omitted from the search tool

IN-CONFIDENCE

to protect the privacy of employees and employers of small businesses. The
aim of the search tool is not to identify individual persons who received the
wage subsidy, and the protection of privacy for natural persons outweighs the
public interest for this information. The online search tool can be found here:
www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/2020/covid-19/covid-
19-wage-subsidy-employer-search.html.
You will find enclosed the dataset which sits behind the online search tool. This
dataset  includes  the  business  name,  the  number  of  employees,  and  total
amount  of  Wage  Subsidy  paid,  as  at  8  September  2023,  and limited to
employers  who applied for  20 or more employees  for at least one of the
subsidies, as per your request.
Notes for the dataset:
•
The dataset does not include businesses that have repaid the
subsidy in full.
•
The dataset may not include accurate figures for businesses that
have made repayments, as this information may take 2-3 days to
update.
•
This information is accurate as at 8 September 2023. Changes may
have been made since this date,  including  the  aforementioned
points.
•
That dataset does not include regional or industry sector
breakdowns.
•
Business names are the names given by employers on the Wage
Subsidy application. Businesses may be known by, or operate under,
different names.
The principles and purposes of the Official Information Act 1982 under which
you made your request are:
•
to create greater openness and transparency about the plans, work
and activities of the Government,
•
to increase the ability of the public to participate in the making and
administration of our laws and policies and
•
to lead to greater accountability in the conduct of public affairs.
This Ministry fully supports those principles and purposes. The Ministry
therefore  intends  to  make  the  information  contained  in  this  letter  and  any
attached documents available to the wider public. The Ministry will do this by
publishing this letter and attachment on the Ministry’s website. Your personal
details will be deleted, and the Ministry will not publish any information that
would identify you as the person who requested the information.
If  you  wish  to  discuss  this  response  with  us,  please  feel  free  to  contact
[email address].
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IN-CONFIDENCE

If you are not satisfied with this response regarding a list of employers with 20
or more employees that received the Wage Subsidy Scheme,  you  have  the
right  to  seek  an  investigation  and  review  by  the  Ombudsman.  Information
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
Bridget Saunders
Manager
Issue Resolution

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Document Outline