1.9 Relationship between Treasury Instructions and Treasury Circulars
Treasury Instructions generally specify what the Chief Executive of a department of the Government must do. Treasury Instructions are signed on behalf of the Secretary to the Treasury and all Chief Executives are required to comply with them to the extent that they apply to the relevant department.
The main purpose of Treasury Circulars is to provide guidance and information, and to request financial information. Treasury Circulars may cover matters that are outside the scope of Treasury Instructions, such as the budget timetable. Since Treasury Instructions are updated annually, Treasury Circulars may also cover matters that are to take effect immediately (but may later be incorporated within Treasury Instructions as part of an annual update).
Treasury Circulars are intended principally for departmental (and sometimes Crown Entities and State-owned enterprises) use and they are usually addressed to Chief Executives/Chief Financial Officers (CEs/CFOs).
For a list of current, publicly-available Treasury Circulars, please see www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/guidance/circulars.
