New Zealand Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she would be "extremely disappointed" if the country's banks decide to pass on the costs of a new prudential levy to their customers, interest.co.nz reported Friday.

The government is implementing a prudential levy on banks, non-bank deposit takers, insurers, and financial market infrastructure providers as part of its 2026 budget. The levy would support cost recovery for the central bank's statutory prudential functions and is expected to generate roughly NZ$209 million during the next four years, according to the report.

The government believes revenue from the new levy would represent less than 1% of the aggregate profit of ANZ Group Holdings (ASX:ANZ, NZE:ANZ), Westpac Banking (ASX:WBC, NZE:WBC), Heartland Group Holdings (ASX:HGH, NZE:HGH), and Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) unit ASB Bank.

"I would like to send them a very clear message: They are some of the most profitable banks in the world. Other counties around the world have these levies and you haven't seen it being passed through," Willis said in an interview with interest.co.nz.

Westpac, Heartland, and Commonwealth Bank did not immediately respond to requests for comment from MT Newswires. ANZ deferred to the New Zealand Banking Association, which did not immediately reply to an email.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)