The Fiscal Monitor - April and May 2023

Highlights

April and May 2023

For the first two months of the 2023-24 fiscal year (April and May), there was a budgetary surplus of $1.5 billion, compared to a surplus of $5.3 billion reported for the same period of 2022-23. By month, there was a deficit of $1.8 billion in April and a surplus of $3.3 billion in May 2023.

The budgetary surplus before net actuarial losses was $3.2 billion, compared to a surplus of $7.0 billion in the April to May period of 2022-23. The budgetary balance before net actuarial losses is intended to supplement the traditional budgetary balance and improve the transparency of the government’s financial reporting by isolating the impact of the amortization of net actuarial losses arising from the revaluation of the government’s pension and other employee future benefit plans.

For the two months combined:

• Revenues were up $1.3 billion, or 1.8 per cent, reflecting higher interest revenues and Employment Insurance (EI) premium revenues.
• Program expenses excluding net actuarial losses were up $3.9 billion, or 6.6 per cent, reflecting an increase in proceeds from the pollution pricing framework returned, as well as higher elderly benefits and transfers to other levels of government, offset in part by the wind-down of COVID-19 income support for workers and related redeterminations.
• Public debt charges increased by $1.3 billion, or 22.8 per cent, driven by higher interest on treasury bills and marketable bonds, offset in part by lower Consumer Price Index adjustments on Real Return Bonds.
• Net actuarial losses decreased by $0.1 billion, or 4.7 per cent.

Revenues

Revenues for the April to May period of 2023-24 totalled $73.0 billion, up $1.3 billion, or 1.8 per cent, from the same period in 2022-23.

• Tax revenues increased by $0.2 billion, or 0.3 per cent, compared to the same period in 2022-23, driven by growth in personal income tax revenue.
• Proceeds from the pollution pricing framework were up $0.1 billion, or 10.0 per cent, reflecting higher carbon pollution pricing in 2023.
• EI premium revenues were up $0.4 billion, or 7.2 per cent, reflecting a higher premium rate and better labour market conditions.
• Other revenues were up $0.6 billion, or 11.1 per cent, reflecting higher interest revenues and net foreign exchange gains. These increases were offset in part by lower net profits from enterprise Crown corporations, largely reflecting Bank of Canada losses as its interest expense on variable-rate deposits has outpaced interest earned on its fixed-rate investments.

Expenses

For the April to May period of 2023-24, program expenses excluding net actuarial losses were $62.9 billion, up $3.9 billion, or 6.6 per cent, from the same period the previous year.

• Major transfers to persons were up $0.1 billion, or 0.3 per cent.
  • Elderly benefits increased by $1.6 billion, or 15.2 per cent, largely reflecting changes in consumer prices to which benefits are fully indexed, and growth in the number of recipients. In addition, as announced in Budget 2021 and implemented in July 2022, the Old Age Security pension has permanently increased by 10 per cent for seniors aged 75 and over.
  • EI benefits decreased by $0.4 billion, or 12.2 per cent, largely reflecting the expiry of temporary pandemic-related measures to facilitate access to EI.
  • COVID-19 income support for workers was down $1.1 billion, due to the wind-down of the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit and Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit in the prior year, and the redetermination of benefits in the current year.
  • Children’s benefits decreased $12 million, or 0.3 per cent.
• Major transfers to other levels of government were up $1.1 billion, or 7.6 per cent, reflecting legislated growth in the Canada Health Transfer, the Canada Social Transfer, Equalization transfers and transfers to the territories.
• Proceeds from the pollution pricing framework returned increased by $2.0 billion, reflecting the change in the delivery of the Climate Action Incentive, from annually on personal income tax returns to a quarterly benefit, as well as an increase in the rate of the Climate Action Incentive.
• Direct program expenses were up $0.7 billion, or 2.7 per cent. Within direct program expenses:
  • Other transfer payments decreased by $0.1 billion, or 1.0 per cent.
  • Operating expenses of the government’s departments, agencies, and consolidated Crown corporations and other entities increased by $0.8 billion, or 5.2 per cent, due in large part to increased personnel expenses.

Public debt charges increased by $1.3 billion, or 22.8 per cent, reflecting higher interest on treasury bills and marketable bonds, offset in part by lower Consumer Price Index adjustments on Real Return Bonds.

Net actuarial losses decreased by $0.1 billion, or 4.7 per cent.

The following table presents total expenses by main object of expense.

Financial requirement of $20.0 billion for April to May 2023

The budgetary balance is presented on an accrual basis of accounting, recording government revenues and expenses when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when the cash is received or paid. In contrast, the financial source/requirement measures the difference between cash coming in to the government and cash going out. This measure is affected not only by changes in the budgetary balance but also by the cash source/requirement resulting from the government’s investing activities through its acquisition of capital assets and its loans, financial investments and advances, as well as from other activities, including payment of accounts payable and collection of accounts receivable, foreign exchange activities, and the amortization of its tangible capital assets. The difference between the budgetary balance and financial source/requirement is recorded in non-budgetary transactions.

With a budgetary surplus of $1.5 billion and a requirement of $21.6 billion from non-budgetary transactions, there was a financial requirement of $20.0 billion for the April to May 2023 period, compared to a financial requirement of $9.6 billion for the same period of the previous year.

Net financing activities up $37.9 billion

The government financed this financial requirement of $20.0 billion and increased cash balances by $17.8 billion by increasing unmatured debt by $37.9 billion. The increase in unmatured debt was achieved primarily through the issuance of treasury bills.

Cash balances at the end of May 2023 stood at $59.6 billion, down $44.1 billion from their level at the end of May 2022.

Notes

1. The Fiscal Monitor is a report on the consolidated financial results of the Government of Canada, prepared monthly by the Department of Finance Canada. The government is committed to releasing The Fiscal Monitor on a timely basis in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Special Data Dissemination Standards Plus, which are designed to promote member countries’ data transparency and promote the development of sound statistical systems.
2. The financial results reported in The Fiscal Monitor are drawn from the accounts of Canada, which are maintained by the Receiver General and used to prepare the annual Public Accounts of Canada.
3. The Fiscal Monitor is generally prepared in accordance with the same accounting policies as used to prepare the government’s annual consolidated financial statements, which are summarized in Section 2 of Volume I of the Public Accounts of Canada, available through the Public Services and Procurement Canada website.
4. The financial results presented in The Fiscal Monitor have not been audited or reviewed by an external auditor.
5. There can be substantial volatility in monthly results due to the timing of revenue receipts and expense recognition. For instance, a large share of government spending is typically reported in the March Fiscal Monitor.
6. The April to March results reported in The Fiscal Monitor are not the final results for the fiscal year as a whole. The final results are published in the annual Public Accounts of Canada and incorporate post-March end-of-year adjustments made once further information becomes available, including the accrual of tax revenues reflecting assessments of tax returns and valuation adjustments for assets and liabilities. Post-March adjustments may also include the accrual of measures announced in the budget that are recorded upon receipt of Royal Assent of enabling legislation.
7. Table 7, Condensed Statement of Assets and Liabilities, is included in the monthly Fiscal Monitor following the finalization and publication of the government’s financial results for the preceding fiscal year, typically in the fall.

Note: Unless stated otherwise, changes in financial results are presented on a year-over-year basis.

For inquiries about this publication, contact Bradley Recker at bradley.recker@fin.gc.ca.

July 2023