Welcome from Gabriel Makhlouf, Secretary to the Treasury

Page updated 20 Jan 2012

Welcome to the website of the New Zealand Treasury.

The Treasury holds a unique position of responsibility and influence in the New Zealand public sector.  We are the Government’s lead advisor on economic, financial and regulatory policy, and have the overall vision of helping achieve higher living standards for New Zealanders.  For us, living standards encompass a wide range of economic, financial and social factors. See Working Towards Higher Living Standards for New Zealanders.

In recent times we have been working towards our vision in extraordinary circumstances. New Zealand has been experiencing difficult economic conditions as a deep ongoing global recession has coincided with a protracted domestic recession. That has meant facing challenges and thinking about issues in ways that we haven’t had to for 70 years.

At the same time, the Government has set out new priorities and different performance expectations. Engaging with our key stakeholders is fundamental to delivering high-quality advice and services, and Ministers are looking for the Treasury to take a lead in improving state sector performance, acting as a catalyst for sector-wide change.

To meet this challenge our ambition is to lead by being:

• A Navigator - shaping  debates and being looked to by the Government, public and private sectors, and the wider community to help New Zealand navigate through challenging times, creating and maximising opportunities;
• An Expert - providing expert commentary and advice on economic, fiscal, public sector management and regulatory issues, as well as using and integrating the expertise of others;
• A Problem-Solver - working collaboratively with stakeholders and other government agencies to deliver innovative solutions to problems; and
• An Exemplar - leading with exemplary performance and exhibiting a culture of continually striving to improve in everything we do.

The new economic and political landscape reinforces the importance of the three key outcomes that the Treasury works towards to strengthen the economy and raise living standards: economic growth, macroeconomic stability and state sector performance. It is critical that we continue to advise effectively on policies and strategies that matter for New Zealand’s long-term economic performance. We need to help maintain a stable and sustainable economy and drive a performance by the state sector that reflects fiscal reality and delivers on the Government’s objectives of smarter, better public services for less.

Through this website, we aim to make our work more accessible to all who have an interest in what we do. It contains a wealth of resources on various aspects of our work, including information on the Budget, the New Zealand economy, the state sector, and the full range of Treasury publications.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information or would like to provide some feedback on the site.

In the meantime, I hope you find this website a valuable "window on the world" of the New Zealand Treasury.

Gabriel Makhlouf
Chief Executive and Secretary to the Treasury