New Caledonia's government has drawn up a budget for 2018 after last year's political crisis prevented the territory from approving it on time.
The document was to be adopted before the start of this year, but New Caledonia had no properly constituted government from August to December.
Since the new government was formed a month ago, it has drafted a budget which expects a revenue drop of about $US100 million from last year.
The shortfall is mainly due to the continuing impact of the lower price of nickel.
The budget, which continues a hiring freeze, is expected to be debated in Congress later this month.
It marks the first time in 27 years that the budget was not approved before the start of the fiscal year.
A new government was elected in August but it failed to choose a president until December which meant the old administration stayed on in a caretaker role.
