26598 (2025). Hon Barbara Edmonds to the Minister of Customs

26598 (2025). Hon Barbara Edmonds to the Minister of Customs: What initiatives, if any, have funding that will be carried over in each of the Vote’s that the Minister has responsibility for, if any, from the 2024/25 year into the 2025/26 year and what for what reason or reasons will these funds be carried over?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised by the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) that in relation to Vote Customs, the following expense transfers from financial years 2024/25 to 2025/26 have been approved or approved in principle: - a transfer of up to $3.500 million to fund delayed investment projects; and - a transfer of up to $0.200 million to re-phase spending by the Ministerial Advisory Group: Transnational, Serious, and Organised Crime, if required. These in-principle expense transfers are fiscally neutral. The final amounts available for transfer will not be finalised until the completion of the 2025 October Baseline Update process. Additionally, I am advised that $5.225 million of unspent funding within the Vote Customs' multi-year Traveller Declaration System Development appropriation in 2024/25 was rolled forward to 2025/26, as part of the 2024/25 Supplementary Estimates process. This appropriation ceases on 30 June 2026.