$20m Pacific Islands Forum budget faces $30m cost estimate

Cash set aside to host the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) in New Zealand next year may fall short of what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) expected it to cost.

RNZ Pacific has received a document from MFAT under the Official Information Act (OIA) that puts potential operating costs at $30 million over two years, as of March.

Budget 2026 set aside $20m over that time to host PIF.

This is noted as a specific fiscal risk in MFAT's submission, but was not disclosed in Treasury's Budget Economic and Fiscal Update.

An MFAT spokesperson said that due to "subsequent work to clarify expectations and scope, and to tighten cost estimates", they now expected the budget to cover it.

When asked specifically how $10m had been "tightened" out, they did not provide a response.

Watch Pacific Islands Forum chair and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Matthew Wale's address after taking over government in June.

In the submission, MFAT noted that they have been instructed by the Prime Minister to host the forum "in a manner that burnishes our Pacific credentials (and) strengthens our region."

It also called it a "significant responsibility" that comes with "elevated expectations from the Forum membership."

Next year will be the first time that New Zealand has hosted PIF in sixteen years.

The 2026 summit will be hosted by Palau from 30 August to 4 September.

This story was first published in RNZ Pacific.