27 May 2016

News Story: New Zealand minister says defense, security funding to help raise capabilities

WELLINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's defense and intelligence services are receiving extra government funding to buy equipment and infrastructure that will enable them to face international challenges, Finance Minister Bill English said on Thursday.

The extra funding included 301 million NZ dollars (202.18 million U.S. dollars) over four years for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to undertake domestic, regional and international security risks, English said in the annual Budget to Parliament.

The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) would receive an extra 179 million NZ dollars (120.23 million U.S. dollars) to remain effective in a rapidly evolving environment and 20 million NZ dollars (13.43 million U.S. dollars) for a new national Computer Emergency Response Team to fight cyber-attacks and cyber-crime.

The government's 2016 Defence White Paper, which would be released soon, would confirm investment in major capabilities and infrastructure to deliver defense policy to 2030, Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said in a statement.

Read the full story at Xinhua