Strong govt balance sheet a good starting point

Wed, 18 Mar 2020

The government’s low level of debt puts New Zealand on more solid ground heading into a pandemic-induced global recession.The government’s net debt was sitting around 19 percent of GDP at the end of January, although Finance Minister Grant Robertson said yesterday it will rise above his 15-to-25 percent debt target as the $12.1 billion support package announced this week keeps some people in jobs and some firms afloat.ANZ Bank New Zealand economist Liz Kendall said that’s a key support for the country’s net international investment position, wh...

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