Classifying COVID-19 policy interventions during March quarter 2021 in macroeconomic statistics

This article provides a summary of the conceptual classification of key government COVID-19 policies in place during the March quarter 2021

Released

1/06/2021

Source

Government Finance Statistics, Australia, March 2021

Introduction

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drive the largest fiscal response to an event in modern Australian history, with the focus of new policy interventions now shifting to support economic recovery.

The ABS continue to undertake extensive consultation with stakeholders and subject matter experts to determine appropriate classifications for COVID-19 policy interventions. These classifications are based on well-established conceptual frameworks (footnote 1), which ensure consistent recording of these policies across macroeconomic statistics, particularly in relation to Government Finance Statistics (GFS) and the National Accounts (NA).

Classification of COVID-19 policies

The COVID-19 policies are grouped into five broad categories (footnote 2):

Increased healthcare and frontline services spending
Provision of assistance to households
Provision of assistance to corporations, unincorporated enterprises and non-profit institutions
Relaxation of tax and non-tax revenue obligations
Capital injections, establishment of new, or extended, lending facilities and provision of guarantees

Key COVID-19 policies impacting March quarter

Government fiscal support through the quarter continued to be targeted towards healthcare spending and provision of assistance to households, businesses and non-profit institutions.

Spending on subsidies by the Commonwealth and state governments continued to sharply decrease during the March quarter. This was driven primarily by the tapering of Boosting Cash Flow for Employers payments and JobKeeper payments (which ended in March 2021).

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Commonwealth and state governments spending on social benefits to households in goods and services has increased significantly compared to historical levels. These levels remained elevated during the March quarter, driven by ongoing expansions to Commonwealth social programs and COVID-related supplementary funding for policy areas like disability and aged care support, as well as state-based rebates to households for electricity bills.

Health care spending also remained elevated because of ongoing COVID-19 health response expenditure on frontline staff and personal protective equipment (PPE). The roll out of COVID-19 vaccines commenced in February 2021 but did not materially affect government final consumption expenditure this quarter.

Table 1 presents a summary of the ABS classification of the key COVID-19 policy interventions in place during March quarter (footnote 3). Key policies that were new this quarter included COVID-19 vaccine supply and delivery.

Table 1: Classification of COVID-19 policies across Commonwealth and State and Territory levels of government
Types of COVID-19 policies		Examples of policies	Classification in GFS and NA (footnote 4)
Increased healthcare and frontline services spending
	Co-funding arrangements	Commonwealth and state (footnote 5): Co-funding for the JobTrainer Package and COVID-19 vaccine delivery costs	GFS: Current grants NA: Income accounts - Current transfers
	Additional spending on public sector workforce	Commonwealth: Deploying staff for COVID-19 response programs State: Deploying both clinical and non-clinical staff for COVID-19 health response and vaccine delivery in public hospitals; Deploying police and other staff to manage quarantine, lockdowns and contact tracing; Vocational education expansion to support economic recovery	GFS: Employee expenses NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure, GDP (I) - Compensation of employees
	Additional spending on healthcare consumables	Commonwealth: Expenditure on PPE for the National Medical Stockpile State: PPE expenditure for state-based medical stockpiles	GFS: Accounts receivable (prepayments), Use of goods & services, Change in inventories NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure, Change in inventories
	COVID-19 vaccine supply	Commonwealth: Membership of the international COVAX facility and supply agreements with Pfizer, AstraZeneca and CSL; Expenditure on vaccine doses when available	GFS: Accounts receivable (prepayments), Social benefits to households in goods and services, Change in inventories NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure, Change in inventories
	COVID-19 vaccine delivery outside of hospitals	Commonwealth: New MBS items for administering of vaccines	GFS: Social benefits to households in goods and services NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure
	Additional spending on contractors and communication	Commonwealth and state: Cleaning of publicly owned assets; COVID-19 communication campaigns; COVID-19 hotlines	GFS: Use of goods & services NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure
	New and accelerated infrastructure investment	State: Infrastructure investment as economic stimulus (including Commonwealth co-funding)	GFS: Acquisition of new non-financial assets NA: GPD (E) - Public gross fixed capital formation
Provision of assistance to households
	Cash payments to households	Commonwealth: Economic Support Payments; JobSeeker Coronavirus Supplement; Fair Entitlements Guarantee; Reducing deeming rates for retirees State: Other state-based hardship payments to households	GFS: Current monetary transfers to households NA: Income accounts - Social assistance benefits
	Additional healthcare services to households outside of hospitals	Commonwealth: Expanded digital health and telehealth services for Medicare; Home Medicines Services for PBS; Provision of free COVID-19 pathology tests	GFS: Social benefits to households in goods and services NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure
	Other rebates and support for households	Commonwealth: Child Care Subsidy (footnote 6); Additional aged care supplements; Employment support services; Additional NDIS support State: Rebates to households for electricity bills; Other targeted concessions for households; JobTrainer courses provided through private providers	GFS: Social benefits to households in goods and services NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure
	Capital transfers to households	Commonwealth: HomeBuilder grants for new dwellings and large renovations State: First Home Owner Grants for new dwellings	GFS: Capital transfer expenses n.e.c. NA: Capital account - Capital transfers, GPD (E) - Private gross fixed capital formation (Dwellings)
	Current transfers to households	State: Government vouchers for households to support tourism, hospitality and the arts	GFS: Current transfer expenses n.e.c. NA: Income accounts - Other current transfers
Provision of assistance to corporations, unincorporated enterprises and non-profit institutions
	Wage subsidies	Commonwealth: JobKeeper; JobMaker Hiring Credit; Wage subsidies for apprentices; Job creation and support funds; Aged care staff retention bonus; Child Care Recovery Payment (footnote 6)	GFS: Other subsidies on production NA: GDP (I) - Other subsidies on production
	Cash support payments to eligible producers	Commonwealth: Boosting Cash Flow for Employers State: Other state-based cash payments to businesses (e.g.; Business Support Fund and Sole Trader Support Fund in Victoria)	GFS: Other subsidies on production NA: GDP (I) - Other subsidies on production
	Targeted industry support for market producers	Commonwealth: Australian Airline Financial Relief Package; Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand Fund; Temporary Interruption Fund; Australian Screen Production Incentive State: Regional Tourism Investment Fund in Victoria; Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund and Outdoor Eating & Entertainment Package in Victoria	Classifications vary depending on policy details GFS: Other subsidies on production, Subsidies on products NA: GDP (I) - Total subsidies on production, GPD (P) - Subsidies on products
	Targeted industry support for non-market producers	Commonwealth: Medical Research Future Fund; Funding for charities that provide emergency and food relief; Mental health support services; Funding for aeromedical services State: Medical research grants; Funding for charities affected by COVID-19 lockdown; Domestic violence, mental health and homelessness support services	GFS: Current transfer expenses n.e.c. NA: Income accounts - Other current transfers
Relaxation of tax and non-tax revenue obligations
	Refunds, waivers and deferrals for various taxes, licenses and fees	Commonwealth: Key examples include GST and commercial broadcasting taxes State: Key examples include payroll, land, liquor, gambling, fishing and stamp duty related policies	GFS: Sales of goods and services, Various taxes classifications NA: GDP (E) - Government final consumption expenditure, GDP (I) - Total taxes on production, GPD (P) - Taxes on products
	Investment incentives	Commonwealth: Increases and expansions to instant asset write-off policies for businesses	GFS: Company tax NA: Income accounts - Current taxes on income, GPD (E) - Private gross fixed capital formation
Capital injections, establishment of new, or extended, lending facilities and provision of guarantees
	Loan guarantees	Commonwealth: SME Guarantee Scheme; First Home Loan Deposit Scheme State: Loan guarantees for public universities	GFS: Contingent liabilities NA: Not recognised
	Access to low cost loans	Commonwealth: RBA Term Funding Facility for banks State: Low-interest loans for local government and public universities	GFS: Advances: Concessional or other NA: Financial account and Balance sheet - Loan and debt security markets (repurchase agreements)

Footnote

These frameworks are supported by international standards such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) and the System of National Accounts 2008 (2008 SNA).
The categories are broadly based on the recommendations in “COVID-19: How to Record Government Policy Interventions in Fiscal Statistics” (IMF, 2020)
Table 1 summarises key policies with an impact on the macroeconomic accounts and does not cover every specific COVID-19 government policy in Australia.
NA includes the gross domestic product (GDP) accounts, which are measured using the expenditure approach (GDP (E)), the income approach (GDP (I)) or the production approach (GDP (P)). NA also includes income accounts, capital accounts, financial accounts and balance sheets.
‘States’ refers to the state sector in macroeconomic statistics which covers all eight state and territory jurisdictions in Australia.
Commonwealth support for the child care industry during the COVID-19 pandemic transitioned between different policies including the existing Child Care Subsidy (prior to 6 April and after 12 July 2020), the Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package (6 April to 12 July 2020), JobKeeper assistance (30 March to 12 July 2020), the Child Care Transition Payment (13 July to 27 September 2020) and the Child Care Recovery Payment (28 September 2020 to 31 January 2021).

Reference

IMF (2020), "COVID-19: How to Record Government Policy Interventions in Fiscal Statistics", Special Series on Statistical Issues in Response to COVID-19, IMF publication, viewed at https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/SPROLLs/covid19-special-notes

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