Increased Pacific aid in NZ budget
Updated
It's emerged that the New Zealand government included a dramatic increase in its overseas development aid, especially to the Pacific, in its May budget.
The increase for the current financial year is 20.2 per cent, and over the next four years will amount to 70 per cent, according to Pacnews.
More than half the new funding is earmarked for Melanesia, one of the Pacific's poorest and least-developed regions.
Pacnews reports the boost was widely overlooked due to media focus on aspects of the budget relating to taxes.
