tmmonline.nz  |   landlords.co.nz        About Good Returns  |  Advertise  |  Contact Us  |  Terms & Conditions  |  RSS Feeds

NZ's Financial Adviser News Centre

GR Logo
Last Article Uploaded: Saturday, December 21st, 2:19PM

Investments

rss
Latest Headlines

Officials differ over cost of Govt's super scheme

The government’s move to encourage state sector employees to save could cost the taxpayer more than five times the amount budgeted for, according to the Treasury.

Friday, February 13th 2004, 12:20AM

by Rob Hosking

And Department of Labour officials have warned the scheme could actually lead to a reduction in overall savings for the country.

The official estimate for the cost of the scheme, announced in November, is $19 million in the first year and $32 million the year after that. That estimate covers the amount in extra spending the taxpayer will have to stump up for the scheme.

Maybe. The Treasury has warned that the figures are vague and that the amount may be as much as five times the figure allocated.

“There is a great deal of unavoidable uncertainty around these costings, and it is difficult to be precise about the likely effects, expect that, in general there is likely to be upward pressure on the cost estimates presented here,” Treasury officials advised Finance Minister Michael Cullen last October.

Even if the uptake is 30% of the public sector workforce – a figure the estimates are based on – those taking part are likely to have above average incomes, and the figures are based on the average figure.

Other likely variables are that public sector salaries may rise faster than expected.

One other difficulty with the new scheme is that at present it is closed to those who currently have savings with the Government Superannuation Fund.

Ways are being worked out to extend coverage to those who are in the GSF.

If those factors came into play the costs would rise to about $127 million a year.

“This is by no means an extreme scenario but it illustrates the fiscal risk underlying this policy.”

If the Treasury is sceptical, its officials seem to have confined themselves to issues of how the policy may be implemented, and its risks.

The Department of Labour has criticised the entire scheme, saying it will cause lower overall national savings.

The logic of this argument flows from the issues raised by the Treasury. Most government departments are unable to fund their contribution to the scheme out of their existing budgets: instead they will have to come up with extra money. That money comes from taxes, two Department of Labour officials, Geoff Bascand and William Dillingham, argued.

While the scheme may help boost employment in the public sector, the officials argued. “These same assumptions mean that it would do so at the expense of private sector incomes and employment and overall growth.”

“It is possible, although unlikely, that the scheme will encourage greater savings by public sector employees , while it will most certainly reduce private sector savings and probably overall national savings.”

Rob Hosking is a Wellington-based freelance writer specialising in political, economic and IT related issues.

« Nats looking at flexible retirement ageGRT wins Government savings business »

Special Offers

Commenting is closed

 

print

Printable version  

print

Email to a friend
News Bites
Latest Comments
  • The good guys get told off
    “I can't quite reconcile the rationale, or lack thereof, with the comments so far. Pathfinder were found to have made misleading...”
    1 day ago by John Milner
  • The good guys get told off
    “As a follow on to this conversation: I'm assuming that the Regulator will be consistent by 'naming and shaming' the other...”
    2 days ago by Pragmatic
  • The good guys get told off
    “FMA does not understand the consequences of these type of actions A number of Insurance Companies were taken to court and...”
    2 days ago by LNF
  • The good guys get told off
    “Superlife was censored for using unregistered salespeople however what is not commonly known was that the FMA were aware...”
    2 days ago by Patrickdiack
  • The good guys get told off
    “FMA executive director, Response and Enforcement, Louise Unger said:... Unger was appointed to that role in April of this...”
    3 days ago by Aggressively_passive
Subscribe Now

News and information about KiwiSaver

Previous News
Most Commented On
Mortgage Rates Table

Full Rates Table | Compare Rates

Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
AIA - Back My Build 4.94 - - -
AIA - Go Home Loans 7.49 5.79 5.49 5.59
ANZ 7.39 6.39 6.19 6.19
ANZ Blueprint to Build 7.39 - - -
ANZ Good Energy - - - 1.00
ANZ Special - 5.79 5.59 5.59
ASB Bank 7.39 5.79 5.49 5.59
ASB Better Homes Top Up - - - 1.00
Avanti Finance 7.90 - - -
Basecorp Finance 8.35 - - -
BNZ - Classic - 5.99 5.69 5.69
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
BNZ - Mortgage One 7.54 - - -
BNZ - Rapid Repay 7.54 - - -
BNZ - Std 7.44 5.79 5.59 5.69
BNZ - TotalMoney 7.54 - - -
CFML 321 Loans ▼5.80 - - -
CFML Home Loans ▼6.25 - - -
CFML Prime Loans ▼7.85 - - -
CFML Standard Loans ▼8.80 - - -
China Construction Bank - 7.09 6.75 6.49
China Construction Bank Special - - - -
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special - 5.69 - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 6.95 5.79 5.59 5.69
Co-operative Bank - Standard 6.95 6.29 6.09 6.19
Credit Union Auckland 7.70 - - -
First Credit Union Special - 5.99 5.89 -
First Credit Union Standard 7.69 6.69 6.39 -
Heartland Bank - Online 6.99 5.49 5.39 5.45
Heartland Bank - Reverse Mortgage - - - -
Heretaunga Building Society ▼8.15 ▼6.50 ▼6.30 -
ICBC 7.49 5.79 5.59 5.59
Kainga Ora 7.39 5.79 5.59 5.69
Kainga Ora - First Home Buyer Special - - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Kiwibank 7.25 6.69 6.49 6.49
Kiwibank - Offset 7.25 - - -
Kiwibank Special 7.25 5.79 5.59 5.69
Liberty 8.59 8.69 8.79 8.94
Nelson Building Society 7.94 5.75 5.99 -
Pepper Money Advantage 10.49 - - -
Pepper Money Easy 8.69 - - -
Pepper Money Essential 8.29 - - -
SBS Bank 7.49 6.95 6.29 6.29
SBS Bank Special - 5.89 5.49 5.69
SBS Construction lending for FHB - - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
SBS FirstHome Combo 4.94 4.89 - -
SBS FirstHome Combo - - - -
SBS Unwind reverse equity ▼9.39 - - -
TSB Bank 8.19 6.49 6.39 6.39
TSB Special 7.39 5.69 5.59 5.59
Unity 7.64 5.79 5.55 -
Unity First Home Buyer special - 5.49 - -
Wairarapa Building Society 7.70 5.95 5.75 -
Westpac 7.39 6.39 6.09 6.19
Westpac Choices Everyday 7.49 - - -
Westpac Offset 7.39 - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Westpac Special - 5.79 5.49 5.59
Median 7.49 5.79 5.69 5.69

Last updated: 18 December 2024 9:46am

About Us  |  Advertise  |  Contact Us  |  Terms & Conditions  |  Privacy Policy  |  RSS Feeds  |  Letters  |  Archive  |  Toolbox  |  Disclaimer
 
Site by Web Developer and eyelovedesign.com