A property development company owned by Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s chief of staff, Jaswant Sailendra Singh (also known as Jazz), has gone into liquidation owing $570,000 in tax, a development of which the mayor was reportedly unaware, Newsroom has reported.
Traxx Investments Limited, owned solely by Singh, was placed into voluntary liquidation on June 4. The first report by liquidators Steven Khov and Kieran Jones, dated June 11, states the company has no assets and lists Inland Revenue as the sole preferential creditor, with a debt of $569,739. The liquidators noted they had not yet received a claim from Inland Revenue.
A spokesman for Mayor Brown said the mayor had never heard of Traxx Investments and had not received any advice regarding Singh’s involvement with the company.
Singh confirmed to Newsroom that Auckland Council was not aware of the liquidation, which he claimed was unrelated to his role within the organisation. He said that while the existence of his business interest had been declared to the council, the liquidation had not been.
When asked about the circumstances surrounding the liquidation, Singh declined to elaborate, stating that he did not plan to discuss the matter. He added that the liquidation was a voluntary decision taken on the advice of his advisors.
The liquidators’ report stated that the reason for the company’s failure was its inability to meet its liabilities due to insufficient assets.
According to Newsroom report, Singh currently holds the most senior role in the Auckland mayor’s office and has been involved in high-level discussions with the government and external stakeholders. He has accompanied the mayor on overseas trips and has played a key role in advocating for policies such as a share of GST revenue for local councils.
With a background as a solicitor, Singh has spent 14 years in senior management roles at Auckland Council. He joined the mayor’s office early in the current term and became chief of staff in June 2024. Before that, he served as the mayor’s head of Budget and Finance and previously held positions such as general manager of procurement, head of risk, and manager of property and commercial legal services.
Singh is listed as the sole director and co-owner of two other entities—Traxx Development Limited and Traxx Property Investments Limited. Companies Office records show Paul Michael Davies as the other shareholder in both companies.
When Singh was appointed chief of staff, Mayor Brown publicly praised him on Facebook, describing him as a strong family man and a father of six with sharp business acumen. Brown noted that Singh was the first finance professional to take up the role since the formation of the Super City and said he was well-placed to help implement the mayor’s long-term plan, improve council-controlled organisations, and curb unnecessary spending.