New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis has cast doubt on her ability to return the budget to surplus by 2027, saying the weakening economy is likely to impact on tax revenue.
“I wouldn’t describe myself as optimistic about hitting the budget surplus” in the 2026-27 fiscal year that Treasury projected in December, Willis said in an interview Friday in Sydney. “I think it is realistic to say that given the downgraded forecast we’ve seen for the growth trajectory since then, you would expect that to have a revenue impact. And so that surplus position is challenged.”