The NZ Food and Grocery Council welcomes the launch of the Grocery Supply Code of Conduct by the Government today.
It comes into effect on September 28.
The final version confirms:
- the prohibition of abuse of power by supermarkets over suppliers
- the stipulation that the supermarket duopoly must pay on time and treat suppliers fairly
- penalties include the greater of 3% of turnover or $3 million for breaches of Code
Chief Executive Raewyn Bleakley says: “We will be examining it in detail in the coming days ahead of it becoming effective later this month.
“The Code is a long-awaited step that will go a long way to creating the environment needed for a better and fairer grocery sector that will give suppliers more confidence and help deliver consumers better options.
“We thank Minister Webb and MBIE officials for further consulting the industry to refine the draft Code and getting it before the Cabinet in tight timeframes.
“NZFGC will now work on final touches to a suite of training options for our members we have been working on with NextGen Group, with support from Matthews Law. That training will help members know what the Code allows for and what it prohibits, and the avenues available for suppliers to raise concerns. They will involve active participation, case studies, debate, and questions in a mix of open and in-house workshops and self-paced digital learning.
“NZFGC will also be offering a series of webinars to provide members with advice on how to prepare for when the Code kicks in.”
Read the Government’s announcement and check out the Code here.