Canada's Federal Government is looking at ways to better leverage taxpayers dollars through pension funds and/or large mutual funds companies as part of building roads, bridges, transit and electrical grids in Canada.
What is an infrastructure bank and its role with infrastructure spending canada - may 2017
1. What is an infrastructure Bank and
its role with infrastructure funding –
Canada – May 2017
By: Paul Young CPA, CGA
Date: May 9, 2017
2. Agenda
• What is infrastructure bank?
• How does an infrastructure bank work
• Bank Rules/Infrastructure Bank
• Issues/Risks facing infrastructure bank
3. What is an Infrastructure Bank?
• https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/canada-infrastructure-bank%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8/
• The federal government can use its strong credit rating and lending authority to
make it easier and more affordable for municipalities to build the projects their
communities need.
• Where a lack of capital represents a barrier to projects, the Canada Infrastructure
Bank will provide loan guarantees and small capital contributions to provinces and
municipalities to ensure that the projects are built.
4. How does an Infrastructure Bank work?
Source - http://smallbusiness.chron.com/infrastructure-bank-work-39194.html
Revenue for infrastructure -- such as roads, highway projects and bridges -- is typically
supplied by state and municipal bonds or federal monies. Unlike Europe, the United
States does not have a central source of financing for large-scale construction projects.
An infrastructure bank would provide a central source of funds for these necessary
construction projects.
5. Liberal Party of Canada
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pFjHC_wItg
6. Infrastructure Bank / Funding
• https://watershedsentinel.ca/articles/whose-canada-infrastructure-bank/ or http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/federal-budget-to-show-how-infrastructure-bank-can-attract-free-up-investment-1.3332522
CTV News – March 20, 2017
7. Toronto to HQ – Infrastructure Bank
• The Canada infrastructure bank will be located in Toronto, where its members
will have easy access to investors in the city’s financial district whose dollars the
Liberals need to make the agency a success.
• The proposed bank would take $35 billion in government funding to entice
private investment in projects like public transit systems, highways and
electrical grids that generate revenues through user fees or tolls.
• The Liberals predict they can leverage three or four times the federal
investment in private dollars for projects in three key areas: trade corridors,
green infrastructure and public transit.
Canadian Manufacturing – May 9, 2017
8. Risk with Infrastructure Bank
• Cost of Capital vs- return on capital for projects
• Projects would then require tolls/users fees as part of supporting the requirement
• Pensions Funds have certain requirement in terms of investment
• How will the stress test be completed?
• Banks need to follow the Bank Act as well as Basel and Solvency Reporting
• Who sits on the board for the infrastructure bank
• Is the board independent?
• What happens when projects lose money?
• Are there guarantees? i.e. taxpayers flip the bill for the short-falls
• Municipalities asked for dedicated funding, not loans
• Interest expense would be cover through increase taxes and user fees