Budget 2010: Maori enterprises encouraged to expand

Maori exporter firms and tourism operators will receive $9 million from this year's budget to grow their businesses, and accountability targets will be high, says Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples.

His Economic Taskforce has oversight of the $4.5 million targeted at growing export earnings. Dr Sharples said that with Maori assets concentrated in dairy, tourism, meat, wood and seafood an emphasis would be placed on adding value to primary products.

However, with a cloud hanging over the suspended Tekau Plus project which was paid for by Te Puni Kokiri and was supposed to have seen 10 Maori companies earn $10 million within a decade but has delivered nothing substantial, the Maori Party co-leader said scrutiny would be high.

"I'm not about to have my taskforce not be accountable - they realise that they're in the minister's hands."

Tourism operators will receive $4.5 million to develop leadership in the sector, improve Maori tourism products and promotion.

Exact details of which groups would receive the money was still unclear as the project was still in its infancy, Dr Sharples said.

An extra $6.5 million over three years is aimed at the Government's 2014 target for settling all historical Treaty claims.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson said that since the last Budget the pace had accelerated, with 11 agreement in principles and six deeds of settlement completed.

The funding would provide resources for Crown chief negotiators, extra support staff and hasten the drafting of deeds. "More groups are also keen to ramp up the speed of their negotiations, since they have seen the benefits that settling claims in a timely fashion can bring for their people, by creating new jobs and unlocking economic development opportunities," Mr Finlayson said.