Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Photo / Mark MitchellAlmost $1 billion that was allocated for the Covid-19 response last year was never spent, and Finance Minister Grant Robertson has put it back into the Covid fund to spend on the recovery. Robertson delivered the first of his pre-Budget speeches this morning to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, saying Budget 2021 would be a "recovery Budget". Robertson said he had asked ministers to do a stocktake of the Covid spending in their portfolios, and return any un-spent money. It is a small portion of the total $50 billion Covid-19 Fund Robertson set up in the 2020 Budget, funded primarily through debt.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 03, 2021 20:15 UTC