Government should be presenting a supplementary budget to formalize any financial packages for COVID 19 response : Tatui

Opposition MP Crossely Tatui says the government should be presenting a supplementary budget to formalize any financial packages in response to the prevalence of COVID 19.  

“ The Cabinet and Treasury should have a remedial economic proposal in the pipeline specifically for the expected prevalence of the virus or pending approval and public announcement.” said Tatui

He said that although he is not privy to the government’s current cash flow situation but that he is generally aware of the broad financial implications on Niue’s limited resources will be enormous. 

“Any financial package beyond what Cabinet is allowed to approve requires a Supplementary budget, a practice hardly followed for some years now”.

The New Zealand High Commissioner H.E Kirk Yates confirmed New Zealand’s’ 3 million dollars of extraordinary funding for Niue. 

At this stage there has been no indication from the government as to how this 3 million dollars will be spent.