20 May 2024
Michael Riconosciuto
[FYI request #26461 email]
Dear Michael
Thank you for your Official Information Act request, received on 17 April 2024. You
requested:
the cost of your travel to the United States. This should include the total costs
of your traveling party.
In addition to the total cost(s), please include a breakdown for the fol owing
categories: flights; accomodation; transport; events; hospitality.
Please can I also request whether Zoom or Microsoft Teams was considered as
a more cost effective alternative to this travel.
Information publicly available
The information covered by your request wil soon be made publicly available on the
Treasury website: www.treasury.govt.nz/publications
Accordingly, I have refused your request under section 18(d) of the Official Information
Act: the information requested is or wil soon be publicly available.
The main purpose of my visit was to attend the in-person meeting of the Five Finance
Ministers (5FM) grouping (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and
United States), which took place on the side lines of the Spring Meetings. Attending
this meeting in person provided an opportunity for me to build relationships with key
counterparts, show
priorities for the grouping.
More specifical y, aside from 5FM, I met with and attended the fol owing:
United States: Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powel .
Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action 11th Ministerial Meeting.
Indranee Rajah.
Indonesia: Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
Citi Bank dinner event hosted by Dr. Lawrence Summers.
Australia: Treasurer, Jim Chalmers.
IMF: Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Krishna Srinivasan.
World Bank: Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde.
Eurogroup: President, Paschal Donohoe.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Ministers Meeting.
US: Treasury Secretary, Janet Yel en.
Ireland: Minister of Finance, Michael McGrath.
IMF: Chief Economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.
This reply addresses the information you requested. You have the right to ask the
Ombudsman to investigate and review my decision.
Yours sincerely
Hon Nicola Wil is
Minister of Finance
