Minister of Finance to present the new Government’s first budget for its first reading

The Third Sitting of the 17th Niue Legislative Assembly will be on Wednesday 8th July 2020.

The Minister of Finance is expected to bring down the New Government’s First Budget for its First Reading. Parliamentary procedures will mean that after introducing the Budget in a legislation called the Appropriation (Annual) Bill, members will be able to speak on the principles and general merit of the Bill.

Following this, the Bill can then be referred to a Select Committee called the Public Accounts Committee. It is the task of that Committee to examine the estimates of expenditure and revenue before it returns to the House.

Once the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has completed its work, the Bill will return to the Assembly for its Second Reading. It is at the Second Reading that the substantive debate takes place.

When all the debating is done, the Bill then goes into its Third Reading before it is passed by the Assembly. Once the Bill is passed, it then becomes the Appropriation (Annual) Act 2020; this gives the authority for Departments and Ministries to spend their allocated funds for the Financial Year.

The proceedings of the Assembly will be carried live on national radio starting at 9:00 am, Wednesday 8th July 2020.