Ministry of Finance and Economic Management

29/05/2026

Just a friendly reminder that the first instalment of Provisional Tax is due on Tuesday 2 June 2026. As Monday 1 June falls on a public holiday, the due date automatically moves to the next business day.

If your business income tax payable for the 2025 year is more than $5,000, you are required to pay Provisional Tax. Please check your Provisional Tax Notice of Assessment for details of the amount due.

To avoid additional charges, please make sure payment is made by the due date. Additional tax will be added each month after the due date until the amount is paid in full or a payment arrangement has been made with Inland Revenue.

If you have any questions or need help, please contact our friendly team on 29365 or email [email protected] 🇨🇰

29/05/2026

A milestone visit for the Cook Islands 🇨🇰

Hon. Mark Brown, alongside our Financial Secretary Garth Henderson, MPPS Director Ange Williams, and delegation in Wuzhou, China, celebrating the launch of the MV Tuitui Moana and strengthening relationships that support future opportunities for our people.

27/05/2026

Are you experienced in digital marketing, photography, accounting, legal or business advice, building compliance, or supporting businesses to grow? MFEM is calling for applications from individuals and companies to join a roster of pre-approved Technical Assistance (TA) providers under the Te Pa’ata Project – Support for Holiday Homes.

This is an opportunity to provide mentoring, coaching, and practical business support to holiday home operators across the Cook Islands. For full details on the Terms of Reference, eligibility requirements, and how to apply, please click on the link below 👇
https://www.mfem.gov.ck/vacancies

Applications close 5 June 2026.

22/05/2026

𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 within the Economic Planning Division of our Ministry for preparing the 2026/2027 National Budget.

Behind every Budget is months of hard work, long hours, planning, problem-solving, and collaboration. For almost eight months, this dedicated team worked behind the scenes to help shape and prepare the Budget that supports our country, our people, and our future. Their commitment, professionalism, and resilience deserve special recognition.

𝐀 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢 𝐌𝐚’𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐒𝐎𝐄𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 who contributed towards this year’s Budget process. Your advice, planning, and input helped shape a Budget that responds to the needs of our people and communities.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐬: Māro’iro’i ki te māro’iro’i – tango mātutu no te tuatau ki mua | 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

This theme reflects the resilience of our people and our country, while continuing to invest in stronger communities, better services, resilience, and opportunities for future generations.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 🇨🇰

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭:
Increases from $100 to $125 per month from 1 July 2026. Eligibility also extends from children aged 0–16 to 0–17 years.

𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Ages 60–69 increases from $520 to $550 per month.
Ages 70+ increases from $720 to $750 per month.

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐠𝐞:
Increases from $10.00 to $10.50 per hour to help workers and families manage rising living costs.

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 & 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭:
Support to help families and vulnerable households during global fuel and freight pressures, including free public transport and targeted assistance.

𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 – 𝐍𝐄𝐖:
Funding to support local food production, strengthen agriculture, reduce reliance on imports, and improve resilience across Rarotonga and the Pa Enua.

𝐏𝐚 𝐄𝐧𝐮𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞:
Investment in government buildings, services, cyclone resilience, heavy machinery, ports, and transport connections across the Pa Enua.

𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲:
Continued investment in renewable energy systems, battery replacements, electric vehicle charging stations, and electric buses.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡:
Funding for improved health services and future replacement of medical equipment, including a new endoscopy machine to improve diagnosis and treatment locally.

𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬, 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 & 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬:
Continued investment in roads, bridges, airport upgrades, harbours, and key infrastructure to keep our islands connected and support growth.

To access the full Budget book and Budget speech, which outlines all key initiatives, investments, and priorities shared by Hon. Mark Brown on Thursday 21 May 2026, click the link below 👇
https://www.mfem.gov.ck/the-national-budget

22/05/2026

Today I presented the 2026/27 Budget "Māro'iro'i ki te māro'iro’i, tango mātutu no te tuatau ki mua" From Strength to Strength: Continuing to Build for our Future.

Our economy is strong. Tourism reached record highs in 2025. Inflation has eased to 2 per cent. And on 31 March, S&P Global Ratings upgraded our sovereign credit rating from B+ to BB- this is independent recognition that the Cook Islands is well-governed and fiscally disciplined, managed by Cook Islanders, for Cook Islanders.

This Budget puts that strength to work for our people:
🇨🇰 Minimum wage rises to $10.50/hour from 1 July, an extra $900 a year for full-time workers.
🇨🇰 Old Age Pension increases by $30/month for our elderly.
🇨🇰 Child Benefit rises to $125/month, with eligibility extended to 17-year-olds.
🇨🇰 New Energy Response Support Fund ($7.5m) and Food Security Fund ($800k) to protect families from global pressures.
🇨🇰 Continued investment in our Pa Enua, including the Rakahanga cyclone shelter, the Mauke government building, and the Arutanga Harbour project.

Together, we continue to build a stronger future for all.

21/05/2026

Congratulations to Maria Poila, Corporate Manager within MFEM’s Revenue Management Division on completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Business, majoring in Management 🎓

Maria has been part of the MFEM family for almost 9 years and has balanced full-time work while studying, not easy! Over the years she has continued to grow in her role while using what she learnt through study to strengthen her work, and real-life work experience to support her learning.

This achievement reflects years of hard work, commitment, and determination, and we are incredibly proud of what Maria has achieved. A big Meitaki Ma’ata as well to everyone who supported her along the way, including our staff here at work and the Cook Islands Ministry of Education 🇨🇰

Congratulations Maria! We are proud of you and excited to see you continue your journey towards your Master’s qualification!

19/05/2026

Our Customs officers at the Airport Authority regularly assist travellers arriving in the Cook Islands, and one of the most common issues is people not being aware of duty free allowances before they travel.

Before stocking up, take a moment to check what you can bring in and what may need to be declared. Duty free allowances can vary between countries, and going over the limit could mean extra duties, delays, or having items declared on arrival.

A little planning before you fly can make your arrival smoother for everyone, including our Customs officers working hard at the border to keep people moving safely and efficiently.

18/05/2026

The 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 will be held at the Islander Hotel on Thursday 21st May 2026 at 9:00am.

The Budget Presentation is a public event open to anyone who may be interested in hearing about the details of the 2026-27 Budget Appropriation.

The Prime Minister will present:

• An update of the Government’s Economic Forecasts
• A snapshot of the Government’s Budget Financials
• A summary of the Government’s Initiatives

Breakfast will be available from 8am for anyone who would like to eat before the presentation. Bookings are essential as seats are limited. We kindly ask that you contact the friendly team at the Islander prior to the day to minimize waiting at the entrance.

For more information or to book, please call the Islander Hotel on 21003 or email Ine on [email protected]

15/05/2026

The Price Tribunal has started a series of short posts to help explain how Price Orders work, why the Price Tribunal exists, and how fuel pricing is managed in the Cook Islands.

With a lot of discussion currently happening around fuel pricing, we encourage the public to follow the Price Tribunal page and this series to better understand the process, how prices are calculated, and the role the Tribunal plays in protecting consumers while ensuring fuel pricing reflects actual importation and supply costs.

Want to learn more about the Control of Prices Act and how the Regulations work? Click the link below 👇
https://www.mfem.gov.ck/price-tribunal

The Price Tribunal operates under the Control of Prices Act and exists to help protect consumers in markets where there are very few suppliers. Price Orders are designed to help prevent unfairly high pricing and excessive profits, while still allowing suppliers to recover fair and reasonable costs.

Fuel prices are not changed overnight, and they are not based on rumours or speculation. Before a Price Order is released, the Price Tribunal collects and reviews verified supplier information, including actual fuel import costs, shipping, freight, and other relevant charges they have paid. This information is then worked through using a structured methodology under the Act and Regulations before a Price Order is publicly released.

Once confirmed, Price Orders follow a formal release process. The Price Tribunal first issues the Price Order to wholesalers, followed by retailers, then the newspaper and media outlets, before it is released publicly through official channels.

Given the current fuel and shipping environment, the Price Tribunal is also exploring more frequent Price Orders so actual supplier costs can move through the system more quickly.
We encourage the public to rely on official updates and continue purchasing responsibly.

Want to learn more about the Control of Prices Act and how the Regulations work? Click the link below 👇
https://www.mfem.gov.ck/price-tribunal

13/05/2026

MFEM continues to work with Cook’s Buses on the free public transport initiative as part of Government’s wider response to fuel pressures.

This initiative is about giving our community a practical transport option, helping ease pressure on households, and encouraging more mindful fuel use where possible.

We appreciate everyone who has used the service, shared feedback, or helped others understand how it works. Your feedback is important and helps us continue to monitor the service and make improvements where needed.

MFEM will continue to share updates as the initiative progresses.