The quality of online interactions with government agencies was a mixed bag at present.
''Some services are very good - the Companies Office. Others were good but constrained by old systems - Inland Revenue. Others have significant improvements to make - ACC. Issuing a unique identifier is only a starting point,'' he said.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce announced yesterday the Government would introduce legislation early in the next term to confirm the deadline and extend the ability to allocate the New Zealand Business Number beyond registered companies to all New Zealand businesses.
The single number would reduce the costs for businesses in dealing with government agencies, he said.
Mr Stevenson said it would be important to deliver streamlined services so businesses could derive real benefit from the initiative.
An example of where services could be streamlined was when a business was winding up. There were several government agencies to be dealt with and the process was often drawn out.
Examples of benefits should be provided when the draft legislation was circulated so businesses could see what was in it for them, he said.
