WELLINGTON, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government released Budget 2018 on Thursday which delivered a big boost for public services including 3.2 billion NZ dollar (2.2 billion-U.S. dollar) extra for health services over four years and a large-scale state house building program.
Health receives a huge boost, including 750 million NZ dollars to tackle some of hospitals' most urgent building problems, the biggest capital injection in health in at least the last decade, said Finance Minister Grant Robertson.
This budget commits to free doctors' visits for everyone under the age of 14, which means an extra 56,000 of young people from the current policy. Under the current one, only children under 13 enjoy free visits, Robertson said.
Very low-cost general practitioner visits will be extended to more people, with the cost cheaper by up to 30 NZ dollars for the 540,000 Community Services Card holders, he said.
Elective surgery, maternity services, air ambulances and the National Bowel Screening Program are among the health services receiving extra funding.
On education, new capital funding will build schools and hundreds of new classrooms, the minister said, adding that operating funding for education over the next four years increases by 1.6 billion NZ dollars to address rising demand, fund 1,500 more teachers and raise teacher-aide funding.
Early childhood education and special education also get a boost over the four years.
Housing is boosted by more than 634 million NZ dollars in operating funds, which will increase public housing by more than 6,000 homes over the next four years, provide more transitional housing, help for the homeless, and offer grants for insulation and heating, Robertson said.
"Budget 2018 begins the economic and social transformation that must happen if New Zealanders are to have better lives in the decades to come," he added.
Other big budget items, such as those for foreign affairs and the provincial growth fund, were announced earlier this month. (1 NZ dollar equals to 0.69 U.S. dollar)
