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Minimum requirement on capital spend

Minimum requirement on capital spend

Thursday 16 January 2020

Minimum requirement on capital spend

Thursday 16 January 2020


The States have voted to change the rules over what percentage of GDP is spent infrastructure renewal and other capital spending.

Government has struggled to meet its current spending regulations of 3% per annum, which it has achieved only once in 10 years.

In their policy letter, Policy & Resources said this target set was "too high to be realistically attainable" on a long-term basis, and suggested lowering it to an average no less than 1.5% of GDP per year averaged over a four year period.

Deputies Peter Roffey and Chris Green said this was too low and submitted an amendment to the Review of the Fiscal Policy Framework suggesting that policy is replaced by a minimum threshold of 2% average over an eight year period. 

"This amendment would see the long term investment in infrastructural renewal and other capital spending reduced from the current rule of 3% of GDP per annum to a minimum of 2%," they said. 

"This will clearly represent a saving albeit possibly less so than a reduction to 1.5%. This is not certain as in both cases the proposed new rule will set out a minimum spend rather than an exact about to be spent It is also impossible to quantify any possible differences in cash terms without knowing future levels of GDP.

"The reason the amendment is framed as it is rather than simply substituting 2% for 1.5% is because it is accepted that within shorter time frames it might not always be possible to meet the 2% minimum requirement without lowering the threshold for capital project too far."

The States of Deliberation voted the amendment through by 19 votes to 17. 

The overall proposals are still being debated. 

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