Edmonds Judd

finance

The Budget 2024

Commercial, Health Issues, News, Your Own Business
0

A no-frills outlook

Although it is clear the economic outlook is somewhat gloomy, in delivering the 2024 Budget, the Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, said that savings across government have resulted in responsibly-funded tax relief. “Spending is targeted, effective and affordable.”

The government has promised targeted investments in public services, including healthcare, education, and law and order. Front-line services will be increased.  Having said that, the minister has admitted the Budget is “tight but realistic” and she intends to stick closely to these allocations.

 

Tax relief

The much-promised tax cuts have been delivered.

As previously signalled, the Budget will help what the government calls ‘the New Zealand squeezed middle income earner’. For the first time since 2010, personal tax brackets have been adjusted for New Zealanders earning up to $180,000 pa. Overall, average income households will have up to an extra $102 in their back pockets each fortnight.

Additional FamilyBoost payments will help around 100,000 families manage the costs of early childhood education with up to $150/fortnight.

These tax changes take effect from 31 July this year (a month later than promised) in order for payrolls to accommodate the re settings. Changes to FamilyBoost will apply from 1 July.

The government has reiterated the restoration of tax deductibility for interest on residential investment properties, as well as the adjustment to the bright-line test from 10 years back to two years from 1 July this year.

 

Health

Frontline health services have received a boost. Emergency departments, primary care, medicines and public health will get $8.15 billion additional operating and capital funding over the next four years:

  • $3.44 billion has been allocated for hospital and specialty services (including $31 million to increase security in emergency departments)
  • An additional $2.12 billion will be available for primary care, community and public health providers including GPs, Māori health services, mental health services and aged care services
  • Free breast screening will be gradually extended for 70–74-year old women (currently only available up to 69 year olds); an extra $31.2 million
  • Pharmac will receive additional funding of $1.77 billion over four years, which is said to just cover ongoing costs for additional medicines, and
  • The mental health initiative, Gumboot Friday, has $24 million to deliver services to young New Zealanders.

 

On the other side of the coin:

  • Free prescriptions have gone for most New Zealanders. However, free prescriptions will remain for those under 14 years old, people aged 65 and over and for Community Services Card holders, and
  • Promised additional funding for cancer drugs has not materialised. Since the Minister delivered the Budget, she has stated that the government aims to make an announcement on cancer drug funding this year.

 

Education

There will be increased spending on schools and early childhood education equating to $2.93 billion in extra operating and capital funding, including $440.8 million of reprioritisation. The government is allocating:

  • $1.48 billion to build new schools and classrooms and to maintain and upgrade existing school properties. This includes funding for kōhanga reo, play centres, kindergartens, kura kaupapa Māori, special schools, and intermediate, secondary and charter schools.
  • $516.4 million to support schools and early childhood education providers, plus $153.3 million to establish charter schools
  • $477.6 million to continue the Healthy School Lunches programme for the next two years
  • $67 million to support schools to use the new structured literacy approach when teaching reading, and
  • Funding is switched to allow a fees-free final year of tertiary study, rather than free fees in the first year.

 

Law and order

The government has reiterated its pledge to crack down on crime and keep communities safe. This includes:

  • Funding of $1.94 billion for more frontline Corrections officers, increased support for offenders to turn away from crime and increased prison capacity, and
  • $651 million allocated to support frontline policing (including increased pay) and for an additional 500 police officers and additional operational support staff.

 

Public services

$140 million is budgeted for an additional 1,500 social housing places, delivered by community housing providers.

$1.1 billion is allocated to ensure disabled people can access the essential services, equipment or support they need.

Hawke’s Bay and Auckland communities will receive $1 billion-plus for the rebuild and recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Anniversary Day floods. $939.3 million of this is allocated for road repairs.

 

Infrastructure

The government, as it has previously signalled, is investing heavily in roading – $4.1 billion to accelerate priority roading projects including Roads of National Significance.

$200 million will be invested to support KiwiRail carry out maintenance and renewals on the national rail network.

 

Climate change

The government wants to support the country’s transition to a low-emissions economy and climate-resilient future. The minister said that around $2.6 billion of climate initiatives funded from the previous government’s Climate Emergency Response Fund will continue.

Later this year the government will consult on plans to deliver emissions reductions over the second emissions budget period. The minister confirmed that the Emissions Trading Scheme will play a vital role in reducing emissions.

 

In summary

While the Budget could not be considered an austerity plan, it is certainly a ‘no frills’ programme indicating the government will be running a tight financial ship over the next few years.

Treasury expects the economy to pick up later this year, including inflation returning to its target band of 1–3% and a fall in interest rates.

All things being equal, the government expects the country’s operating balance (before gains and losses) to head into surplus in the 2027–28 financial year.

In the meantime, however, we will all need to hold on to our hats and buckle our belts a little tighter over the next few years.

To read more detail about the Budget, click here for the Budget documents.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Commercial eSpeaking is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Commercial eSpeaking may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.


Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2021.     Editor: Adrienne Olsen.       E-mail: [email protected].       Ph: 029 286 3650

Budget 2023

Commercial, Health Issues, News, Your Own Business
0

Key points

With the country expecting a no-frills Budget to match the Hipkins’ government’s bread-and-butter focus on issues for 2023, this year’s Budget had few surprises.

The government has a tightrope to tread in trying to deal with inflation, supporting the recovery from the Covid pandemic, and managing the significant economic effects of the Auckland Anniversary floods and the devastation from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Minister stood by his earlier statement that there would be no tax cuts in this Budget, but there would be increased cost of living support.

Already announced over the last few weeks have been a $1 billion flood and cyclone recovery package, funding for climate change initiatives, and additional funding for education and the New Zealand Defence Force.

On the afternoon of Thursday 18 May, the Minister of Finance, the Hon Grant Robertson, presented the Wellbeing Budget 2023 – Support for today, building for tomorrow.

The Minister focused on four themes:

  • Supporting New Zealanders with the cost of living
  • Delivering the services New Zealanders rely upon
  • Recovery and resilience, and
  • Fiscal sustainability.

We summarise the key points of this year’s Budget.

 

Cost of living support

There is to be free public transport for children under 13 years old, and permanent half-price fares for those under 25 years old. The Minister said, “This will help passengers meet the cost of public transport and encourage increased use, while also supporting New Zealand to achieve its climate change goals.”

The $5 co-payment for prescriptions will be removed from 1 July.

The government has pledged to lower households’ energy costs. It has expanded its Warmer Kiwi Homes Programme providing around 100,000 new heating and insulation installations; 7,500 hot-water heat pumps; and five million LED light bulbs.

For early childhood education, eligibility criteria for 20 hours’ Childcare Assistance has been extended to cover two-year olds, as well as three-to-five year olds. The subsidy rates will be increased. This comes into effect on 1 March 2024.

 

Delivering more reliable services

The government has acknowledged the need to make significant investments to protect and improve public services for Kiwis.

Housing: There is increased funding to deliver 3,000 new state houses.

Education: As announced a week ago, there is a commitment to boost skills, improve achievement, reduce class sizes and increase teacher pay. There will be 6,600 additional student places, and new classrooms and schools to fit them in.

Health: The government is to focus on the effects of winter on the health system; the urgent need for more medical staff (including 500 nurses), and to reduce the massive waiting lists.

There is a commitment to spend more than $1 billion to increase the pay rates and boost staff numbers, and $20 million to lift Covid immunisation and screening for Māori and Pacific peoples.

The Budget includes a range of investments to support Māori and Pacific peoples. These include:

  • Investment of $223 million to improve housing outcomes for Māori. This includes $23 million for an extension to the Te Ringa Hāpai Whenua Fund and $200 million to increase the supply of Māori housing and to repair homes in Māori communities.
  • Supporting whānau and tamariki by expanding Whānau Ora services and support for wāhine hapū in the first 1,000 days of life for their pēpi, and
  • $143 million has been set aside to foster Māori and Pacific language and culture.

 

Recovery and resilience

The government has already announced its package for the recovery and its investment in regional resilience from the Auckland Anniversary floods in late January and Cyclone Gabrielle in February.  There is a commitment for $71 billion across the next five years for new and existing infrastructure investment (schools, hospitals, public housing, rail and road networks), in addition to funding set aside for projects that are still in the planning stage.

Acknowledging the need to rebuild New Zealand’s crumbling infrastructure, $6 billion over a 10-year period has been allocated for a new National Resilience Plan. Initially focusing on ‘building back better’ from the effects of the floods and cyclone, it will also fund the country’s long-term infrastructure deficit, and develop a credible pipeline to support the plan.

 

Fiscal sustainability

Whilst the Minister held fast on his promise not to raise income tax, the trustee tax rate (currently at 33%) will increase to 39% from 1 April 2024 bringing it into line with the top personal tax bracket. The Minister says this will create fairness and remove a potential loophole.

Whilst the Minister confirmed that the country’s economy has emerged from the three years of Covid in a ‘solid position’ – the economy expanded by 2.4% over the 2022 calendar year and modest growth is anticipated for this year – there are headwinds. The continuing impact of the war in Ukraine, and worldwide inflation will affect New Zealand’s economy.

Although inflation peaked at 7.3% in June 2022 and eased to 6.7% earlier this year, rising immigration to this country and the government’s investment in infrastructure projects will increase demand. This may put more pressure on the Reserve Bank to contain inflation.  Whilst New Zealand is not in a recession, recovery from the knocks of the past few years may take longer than anticipated. The government expects the books to return to surplus in 2025–26, a year later than Treasury’s December 2022 forecast.

The 2023 Budget is very much what the government had said it would do – no huge surprises and keeping a firm hand on the tiller to make New Zealand a better country in which to live. The proof, however, will be in the pudding as the year proceeds.

 

To read more detail about the Budget, click here for the Minister’s speech.

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Commercial eSpeaking is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Commercial eSpeaking may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.


Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2021.     Editor: Adrienne Olsen.       E-mail: [email protected].       Ph: 029 286 3650

2022 Budget

First Job, Health Issues, News, Your Own Business
0

Commentary on the Minister’s main points

The Minister of Finance, the Hon Grant Robertson, presented the government’s Wellbeing Budget to the House on Thursday, 19 May.

With inflation running at a 30-year high at 6.9%, and similar levels of inflation with most of our trading partners, rising interest rates, the stock market in the doldrums, the knock-on effects of the Ukrainian war and the continuing situation with Covid, the government is walking an economic tightrope.

With an eye on the late 2023 general election, did the Budget give short-term relief for New Zealanders or did it take the long-term view for the good of the country? The government has probably put a dollar each way.

Cost of living

To help mitigate inflation and the squeeze on the lower-middle income sectors, the government has established a $1 billion cost of living relief package. This includes a one-off $350/person cost of living payment for the estimated 2.1 million people earning less than $70,000 per annum and who are not eligible for the winter energy payment. This $350 payment will be made in three instalments from 1 August.

The half-price public transport fare regime (introduced to run from 1 April–30 June) will continue for an additional two months to 31 August, as will the reductions in fuel excise and road user charges. There will be ongoing concessions for Community Services card holders.

The government is attempting to quell some elements of the current supermarket duopoly. On 19 May, it introduced legislation to ban covenants over land as a barrier to supermarkets accessing new sites thus restricting competition. There will shortly be more announcements in response to the Commerce Commission’s recent report on the operation of New Zealand’s supermarkets.

Business

Businesses that had been expecting a significant Budget boost may be disappointed.

The government has, however, announced some support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a $100 million Business Growth Fund. Working alongside the retail banks, the government can buy a minority shareholding in appropriate SMEs. Privately operated and independently managed, the Fund will support SMEs where equity funding may be preferable to debt finance.

The Minister of Finance says, “The Fund would always be a minority investor [in an SME] with a seat on the board, offering guidance and expertise, but always leaving owners in control. [The Fund] will improve SMEs’ access to finance, enabling them to grow, create jobs and increase their contribution to our wider economic development.”

Although the concept is new to this country, similar funds have been successful in countries such as the UK and Australia.

The government has allocated $60 million towards the implementation of its proposed Income Insurance Scheme; it expects the Scheme to be operational in 2024. There is more about the proposal here.

For Kiwis who live in broadband’s ‘worst served’ areas, the government has allocated $60 million to improve broadband infrastructure.

There is $132 million allocated towards industry transformation plans for the construction sector, advanced manufacturing, agri-tech, digital and primary industries.

Health

The health sector is a big winner in this year’s Budget with an allocated $11.1 billion operating budget for the new Health New Zealand entity over the next four years. There is another $1.3 billion earmarked for health capital investments including specific allocations for Whangārei and Nelson hospitals, and the Hillmorton mental health project in Christchurch.

The financial deficits of district health boards will be wiped allowing Health New Zealand to start with a clean slate on 1 July.

Pharmac is to get a major funding boost of an extra $191 million over the next two years.

Climate change

The Emissions Reduction Plan is allocated $2.9 billion from the Energy Response Fund. There is $16 million over four years for community-based renewable energy projects from the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund, and $31 million is for a Māori climate action platform.

More highlights

  • Māori and Pacific communities have been allocated a $580 million package across health, social and justice sectors
  • There are changes to the First Home Grants and First Home Loan regimes that take into account the significant increases in house prices
  • The Affordable Housing Fund will receive an additional $221 million
  • Public and transitional housing is allocated $1 billion
  • A new Ministry for Disabled People will be established – $108 million for establishment and support operations, and
  • Further funding has been announced for cultural organisations such as the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Ballet and the Waitangi National Trust Board.

Although times are tough right now, the government is optimistic that good times will return. Although a $19 billion deficit is expected this year, the government expects a return to surplus in 2025.

The Minister of Finance says, ”Budget 2022 shows the economy is expected to be robust in the near term. It is expected to strengthen from the second half of this year, with annual growth peaking at 4.2% in the year to June 2023.”

We have only had space to outline some Budget highlights. To read in more detail about the Budget
go here.

DISCLAIMER: All the information published in Commercial eSpeaking is true and accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge. It should not be a substitute for legal advice. No liability is assumed by the authors or publisher for losses suffered by any person or organisation relying directly or indirectly on this newsletter. Views expressed are those of individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of Edmonds Judd. Articles appearing in Commercial eSpeaking may be reproduced with prior approval from the editor and credit given to the source.


Copyright, NZ LAW Limited, 2021.     Editor: Adrienne Olsen.       E-mail: [email protected].       Ph: 029 286 3650