The 
Budget Consultation document 2014/15678.86 KB has been released. The document contains some basic facts to inform people on how to prepare for the 2014/15 Budget. The 2014/15 Budget intends to outline in detail every estimate of revenue and expenditure for the next three years out to 2016/17 enabling Ministries to improve their planning and improve coherence with the National Sustainable Development Plan.
The Minister of Finance along with the Financial Secretary would like to encourage the public to have their say into the budget process for 2014/15.
It is the Government’s desire to get more input into the budget process from across the community and welcome ideas from people across the country. This is aimed at the on-going development and prosperity of the Cook Islands.
It is in this sense of community consultation that the Government would like to take the opportunity to invite individuals, the business community, the church, non-Government organisations and other representatives of civil society across the Cook Islands to present a submission to the Government on the formulation of the 2014/15 Budget.
There is no set format to a submission, but there will be two stages in the submission process. Submissions can be brief or as long as the author desires, but we have provided some prompting questions below to assist in forming submissions.
Stage 1: General sector input by 6 December 2013
What sectors do you feel need the most attention?
- Infrastructure (such as water, roads and harbours)
- Social (such as education, health and social services)
- Economic (such as tourism, fisheries, agriculture and economic development)
- Law and Order (police, customs and justice systems)
- Governance (public sector reform and political reform)
Within these sectors, what strategies do you feel need attention or are absent? Why?
Are there other areas you feel could contribute across the different sectors or other strategies the Government should be pursuing?
Stage 2: Specific initiatives by 6 January 2014
This will depend on your submission. For example:
- What strategies should the Ministry of Health invest more in to combat NCDS?
- What initiatives can Government do to improve transportation between the Pa Enua?
- How can Government improve its investment in the tourism industry?
- What programs should the Government invest in to improve public safety?
Please send your submissions via email to budgetinfo@cookislands.gov.ck, subject heading: Budget Consultation Document 2014/15 or Hand deliver to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, Treasury Office Avarua, Rarotonga.
For further information please email to the above email address or call our Budget and Economic Policy Division on (+682) 29511.