Sector Overview - Finance and Government Administration Sector

Sector Overview Statement

The Finance and Government Administration sector covers a range of Votes that fund the delivery of functions and services (including the administration of major legislation), which covers how Government and Parliament operate and the delivery of a range of services to New Zealanders. A key focus across the sector relates to the behaviour and adherence of the public sector to its legal and constitutional constraints and commitments; its relationships with stakeholders and the public; and the management and collection of Crown revenue.

Speaker's Overview of the Parliamentary Votes in this Sector

My part of this sector provides a range of services that support a functioning legislature in which members of Parliament are able to discharge their constitutional duties in respect of the consideration of legislation and other parliamentary business (Vote Office of the Clerk and Vote Parliamentary Service).

Agencies responsible to me also include the Officers of Parliament who have an oversight role on behalf of Parliament relating to the behaviour of the public sector; how it administers the law; and meets and performs its agreed and public responsibilities (Vote Audit and Vote Ombudsmen).

The key budget initiatives for Budget 2008 within the Votes in my part of this sector are:

Office of the Clerk

• roll-out of eCommittee system to all select committees

Office of the Ombudsmen

• the Ombudsmen adopting an enhanced role in the investigation of serious incidents that occur within prisons.

Ministers' Overview of the Votes (other than the Parliamentary Votes) in this Sector

Our sector also funds advice to Government on financial matters, including input on expenditure and budgeting (Vote Finance and Vote Revenue); manages the collection and distribution of Crown revenue and other payments (Vote Revenue and Vote Finance); monitors and advises on the performance of State-Owned Enterprises (Vote State-Owned Enterprises); and advises and provides services to improve the performance of the State sector (Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet, Vote State Services and Vote Finance). The State Services Commission manages the appointment of Chief Executives to government departments (Vote State Services).

The agencies in the sector that are responsible to us provide a number of services to New Zealanders, which includes a range of government social support programmes (Vote Revenue). We also fund delivery of services relating to the ability of central Government to function efficiently and effectively, carrying out its constitutional role as the government of New Zealand and in support of the Crown and the official responsibilities of our nation (Vote Prime Minister and Cabinet and Vote Ministerial Services). The sector also delivers services in support of maintaining national security (Vote Communication Security Intelligence and Vote Security Intelligence).

We take a keen interest in the level of service provided by our departments and in what contribution each has indicated they will make to support our three themes, Economic transformation, Families - young and old, and National identity. We are pleased to draw your attention to the increasing level of co-ordination between the agencies in the sector, as well as with those having complimentary roles in other sectors. We particularly note the consistency of their Statements of Intent, with evident purpose shown in increasing the productivity of the State sector. This will be reported on to Cabinet through the year. Those providing direct services to the public are making a determined effort to offer the customer service improvements we expect, through use of technology and in direct accessibility, but doing so with due consideration to providing value for money.

The Statements of Intent for 2008 of our respective agencies set out how their activities during the next three to five years focus on meeting the Government's three priority themes as these relate to individual agency roles. They outline what they are seeking to achieve, what they will do and how this will be measured, so that the combined progress contributes a positive impact and does so in a manner that offers the maximum benefit to New Zealanders.

Initiatives of note for Budget 2008-2009 within this part of the sector are:

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

• renovation and refurbishment of Government House, Wellington

Finance

• all Government Superannuation Fund and National Provident Fund annuitants receive 100% of the Consumer Price Index as a cost of living adjustment
• New Zealand Export Credit Office development of US contract bonds and trade finance export products
• funding for the development and maintenance of rail infrastructure
• equity injections to the Reserve Bank, Industrial Research Limited, Timberlands West Coast and a new Hawke's Bay airport company
• compensation to Landcorp for retaining protected land under the Protected Land Agreement
• funding of negotiations with Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation in respect to claimed Māori vested land lease losses

Revenue

• ‘Student Loans’ redesign
• services to inform the public about entitlements and meeting obligations.

(Please refer to section 1.3 of each Vote for a list of all budget initiatives. In addition, please note that the Department of Internal Affairs' Statement of Intent is included in the National Identity Sector and under section 45E(2) of the Public Finance Act 1989, intelligence and security departments are not required to present information on their future operating intentions to the House of Representatives or produce a statement of forecast service performance.)