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New Zealand Economic and Financial Overview 2010

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Disclaimer: The information on this web site is issued by the New Zealand Debt Management Office (NZDMO) for informational purposes. It does not contain and is not an invitation or offer to buy or sell securities. Each page on this web site must be read in conjunction with the disclaimer at http://www.nzdmo.govt.nz.

Direct Public Debt[1]

Debt Management Objectives

During 1988, as part of the reform of the government's financial management, the New Zealand Debt Management Office (NZDMO) was formed to improve the management of risk associated with the government's fixed income portfolio, which comprises liabilities in both the New Zealand and overseas markets and some liquidity assets. The categories of risk managed are: market, credit, liquidity, funding, operational and concentration risk.

In 1988, the NZDMO introduced reforms of the public sector's cash management involving centralisation of surplus cash funds for investment and cash management purposes, and decentralisation to departments of the responsibility for payments and other banking operations.

The separation of the government's financial management from monetary policy enables the NZDMO to focus on defining a low-risk net liability portfolio for the Government and implementing it in a cost-effective manner.

Prior to March 1985, successive governments had borrowed under a fixed exchange-rate regime to finance the balance of payments deficit. Since the adoption of a freely floating exchange rate regime, the government has borrowed externally only to rebuild the nation's external reserves and to meet refinancing needs.

Direct public debt increased by a net amount of $9,384 million including swaps between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2009. This increase was due to a net increase in internal debt of $7,254 million and an increase of $2,130 million in external debt principally due to increased issuance of Treasury bills and government domestic bonds to meet the government's funding requirements in the wake of the international credit crisis. (The increase in external debt arose through increases in collateral and the impact of foreign-currency swaps.)

As of 30 June 2009, 4.3% of the interest-bearing direct debt of the government was repayable in foreign currencies. The quantifiable contingent liabilities of the Government, including the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, SOEs and Crown Entities, amounted to approximately $8,489 million.

Under existing legislation, amounts payable in respect of principal and interest upon New Zealand securities are a charge upon the public revenues of New Zealand, payable under permanent appropriation. All of the indebtedness of New Zealand is otherwise unsecured.

Debt Record

New Zealand has always paid when due the full amount of principal, interest and amortisation requirements upon its external and internal debt, including guaranteed debt.

Notes

  • [1]The debt figures in this section are presented in nominal dollars and relate solely to the core Crown entity. In this respect, they will differ from the sovereign-issued debt figures as disclosed in the Crown Financial Statements of New Zealand. The latter are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting practice and include debt issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
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