David Clark said the Grocery Commissioner would be established to "hold the sector to account and ramp up competition".
It comes after months of mortgage rates going up.
Consumer NZ says 28% of people with personal debt say they are incurring most of it on essential expenses.
Those with outstanding bonds are being encouraged to claim what's theirs.
The Trade Minister said his priority was on trade diversification, regardless of an evolving relationship with China.
The single-use bags will be phased out in 20 Countdown stores this month.
"Frankly speaking, the EU has ... failed to live up to their rhetoric of being free traders."
It could see a $1.8 billion increase in export revenue for Aotearoa each year.
In a few years' time, you won't see Kiwi-made feta or gorgonzola on supermarket shelves under those names anymore.
The bank's chief economist said those who did not own houses had seen costs increase, with prospective first-home buyers struggling to buy.
But it wasn't enough to keep up with high inflation.
The Equileap survey ranked NZ's best performing company, Xero, in 83rd place in the Asia Pacific region for gender equality.
The finance minister says New Zealand has "good prospects" despite a fall in quarterly GDP figures.
ANZ funds management head Fiona Mackenzie said the heightened concerns were understandable but investors needed to keep calm and take a long-term view.
The national grid operator had issued a New Zealand-wide emergency over a power shortage after wind generation dropped and its energy buffer system ran into issues.
Like parmesan or gruyère on your pasta? Kiwi cheese makers are worried that will be a thing of the past if the EU gets its way.
Waimea Water says Covid-19 and difficulties with geology contributed to the budget blowing out.
Steep food price rises and record-high petrol prices are behind the increase.
The company has come under increasing scrutiny from investors in the past week.
Building Minister Megan Woods has been holding crisis meetings in recent weeks as builders continue to struggle to access plasterboard products.