Note:
- This Toolkit item relates to Part 2 - Investment Governance, Funding and Financing of the Commonwealth Investments Resource Management Guide.
What is a loan?
A loan is the lending of money to a party (borrower) coupled with the obligation that the loan amount (principal) plus interest will be repaid at a future date.
There are two types of loans:
- Commercial loans - The terms are comparable to the private market. A market assessment should be undertaken to demonstrate what terms the commercial market is willing to lend on.
- Concessional loans - The terms and conditions are more favourable than those offered by private debt markets. The most common favourable term is a lower interest rate but this may also include grace periods, income-contingent repayments and/or longer tenors.
When should I use a loan?
There are a number of considerations to be balanced in determining the most appropriate alternative financing options (or blend of options).
Loans are generally appropriate where the borrower has a history of or reasonable expectation to generate a reliable positive cash flow sufficient to make loan repayments and pay interest. Loans have a lower risk profile than equity, as loan obligations are paid as part of operational cash flows and prior to any distributions to equity.
Commercial loans can be used to bridge a commercial finance market gap. An example where Government (or quasi Government) commercial loans could be used is where the volume of private finance required is more than that available at the time the project is needed or is not available upfront because there is an expectation that private finance would be available later (following a de-risking of certain upfront risks). Commercial loans should generally not be used if private finance at similar terms is available.
Concessional loans are used to support policy objectives where some financial return is expected, however private financing is not available or is unaffordable. Further guidance on Concessional Loans is available in the Finance Advice Paper - Q&A – Concessional Loans and the Resource Management Guide No. 115 – Accounting for Concessional Loans.
Characteristics of loans
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
|
Ability to influence financed objective
Medium |
Depends on the loan terms as the level of influence may be limited to or by specific loan conditions.
|
|
Level of market intervention
Medium |
The use of loans can enable navigation of challenging periods (i.e. start-ups or market disruption/creation). There is the potential for crowding out of private finance as a project progresses. |
|
Commercial discipline incentive
Medium-High |
Loans encourage commercial discipline through loan terms where there is a known repayment period and interest requirement. |
|
Certainty of financial return
High |
Loans provide certainty with a known repayment period and interest requirement. In order to provide a loan, there must be some probability of repayment.
|
|
Opportunity to realise upside gain
Nil |
Unlike equity, a loan does not benefit from upside risk, with the upside limited to interest received. |
|
Level of financial risk
Medium |
Loans have a lower risk profile than equity, as loan obligations are paid as part of operational cash flows and prior to any distributions to equity. In addition, lenders rank ahead of equity providers in the event that the borrower is insolvent Loans may also be secured. |
|
Security of asset
High |
Loans may be secured over assets (including shares of the borrower entity). This is only beneficial where the assets are valuable. |
|
Administration costs
Medium |
Medium administration costs for the Commonwealth in establishing governance arrangements for the loan agreement. |
Accounting and budget classification and reporting of loans
Accounting standards classify loans as financial assets. In addition to Annual Reporting requirements in accordance with the relevant accounting standards, loans over $200 million are subject to additional disclosure requirements in the Statement of Risks in Budget Paper 1 – Budget Strategy and Outlook. More information on recognition in Budget aggregates is available here.
Examples of Commonwealth loans
Commercial loan
The Commonwealth is providing a loan to NBN Co on commercial terms of up to $19.5 billion for the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2024. A Government loan on commercial terms continues to represent the most cost‑effective way to raise necessary debt and secure funding so NBN Co can focus on the remaining rollout as it significantly scales up toward completion in 2020.