New Zealand’s Govt.nz mobile app will soon let users display a digital driver’s licence and other photo IDs from a built‑in digital wallet. From the end of March, the app will enable digital credentials to be presented at police checkpoints, bars and retail outlets, eliminating the need for a physical licence or age‑verification card. The rollout depends on legislative amendments that will give digital IDs the same legal status as paper documents for driving, alcohol sales, vehicle rentals and AML checks. Hospitality New Zealand will be the first private sector partner to issue an accredited digital credential, and secure messaging is slated for July 2026.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said New Zealand is considering targeted, temporary assistance for households hit by soaring fuel prices, but ruled out broad fuel tax cuts, universal cost‑of‑living payments, or public‑transport subsidies. Any aid must avoid adding inflationary pressure, fit the...
New Zealand faces a looming fuel shortage as the government reports only about 58 days of petrol and 50 days of diesel reserves amid a global oil crisis triggered by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, the coalition...