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October 2007

October 2007. Canadian Experience in Public Pension Fund Management and Operations. Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center Conference. Challenges facing the Canada Pension Plan. Achieving sustainability.

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October 2007

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  1. October 2007 Canadian Experience in Public Pension Fund Management and Operations • Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Center Conference

  2. Challenges facing the Canada Pension Plan Achieving sustainability 1997 reforms Canada’s retirement income system (RIS) 1 3 2 4 Content

  3. Canada’s Retirement Income System • Old Age Security (OAS) • Guaranteed minimum income for seniors, regardless of employment history; publicly funded through taxes • Canada Pension Plan (CPP) • Public plan, partially funded, defined benefits and mandatory contributions based on employment • Tax Deferred Private Savings and other savings • Mixture of mandatory and optional savings, funded by individuals and employers

  4. The Public Pillars(2007 figures) Old Age Security C$ 5,950 Guaranteed Income Supplement C$ 7,513 Maximum reduced for other income C$10,365 Based on maximum contributions and age 65 retirement CPP

  5. Canada’s Retirement Income System Tax-assisted private savings 43% Old Age Security32% Total: $87 billion for 2004 Canada Pension Plan 25%

  6. 160% Two-income couples 140% One-Income couples Single 120% 100% 70 per cent replacement 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 15,000 30,000 60,000 90,000 Pre-retirement earnings (C$) Proportion of pre-retirement earnings replaced by public pensions in 2006

  7. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) • Provides all workers in Canada with a taxable basic earnings-related retirement pension indexed to prices • Benefit replaces earnings up to 25% of average industrial wage • Also provides modest survivor, disability and death benefits • Financed by: • Mandatory employer/employee contributions on earnings up to average wage • Investment earnings (in the future)

  8. The CPP and the retirement income system (RIS) Achieving sustainability Challenges facing the Canada Pension Plan 1997 reforms 1 3 2 4 Content

  9. The CPP: From 1966 to1995 • Pay-as-you go system with a small reserve • Reserve invested solely in non-marketable government bonds at below market interest rates • Contribution rates remain modest despite benefit enrichments and rising cost pressures • Future generations to pay far more – contribution rates scheduled to nearly double to 10.1 per cent (2016)

  10. Post 1995: Financial Instability • 1995 Actuarial Report projects • depletion of small asset reserve by 2015 • inability to pay promised benefits at the projected 10.1% contribution rate thereafter • with costs expected to continue to rise the contribution rate would be need to be raised to over 14 per cent by 2030. • Actuarial report prepared by plan actuary and required under CPP legislation

  11. Main problem facing the Plan: RISING COSTS • Shifting demographics, notably a declining ratio of contributors to beneficiaries; • Slower earnings growth; • Successive benefit enhancements since inception; and • Escalating disability benefit expenditures in the previous decade due to looser administration and eligibility requirements.

  12. Success and observations 1997 CPP reforms The CPP and the retirement income system (RIS) Challenges facing the CPP prior to reforms 1 3 2 4 Content

  13. Public Consultations • Sought Canadian’s views on solutions. • Broad public consensus emerged that: • CPP should remain a public defined benefit pension plan; • Contribution rates over 14 per cent unacceptable – current contributors should pay a “fairer” share of Plan costs; • Pre-funding desirable but assets must be invested at arm’s length from government; • Benefit reductions for those already receiving a pension should be avoided.

  14. The Reform Package • Three-pronged approach to restoring financial sustainability • Significantly, and quickly, increased contribution rates to a level sustainable over the long term (i.e., 9.9 per cent from 2003 onward) • Adoption of a new investment policy with assets invested in marketable securities at arm’s length from governments • Changes to benefits and their administration to slow expenditure growth.

  15. Move Towards Partial Pre-Funding • Contribution rate to cover the actuarially fair cost of new entitlements plus a share of the unfunded burden that had built up. • CPP would build up significant asset pool - equal to about 5 years of benefits or about 25 per cent of Plan liabilities. • Investment earnings on Plan assets would help to pay future benefits that otherwise would be financed by higher contributions.

  16. New Investment Policy • CPP Investment Board (CPPIB) established to manage assets • Independent from the federal and provincial governments • Governed by a qualified board of directors. • Assets invested in a diversified portfolio of securities (instead of only bonds) to get higher returns • New fund expected to generate higher real return • Subject to similar investment rules as other pension funds. • CPPIB to provide quarterly financial statements and annual reports on performance of the investments.

  17. Independence: clear mandate to invest in sole interest of plan members independent directors full discretion to set its own management structure, and operating & investment policies Accountability: Board must keep Parliament and public well informed: transparent investment policies, standards, procedures detailed annual report, tabled in Parliament bi-annual meetings in participating provinces Investment Board Structure: Balances Independence and Accountability

  18. Benefits and Administration • No changes to benefits already in payment. • Key measures taken to slow the growth of expenditures: • New formula for calculating the retirement benefit; • Administration and eligibility for disability benefits tightened; • Death benefit reduced and frozen at C$2,500; • By 2030, projected expenditures reduced by almost 10%.

  19. Strengthening Governance • Strengthened stewardship through more frequent actuarial reporting and financial reviews by governments • Legislative requirement that future benefit improvements or new benefits be fully pre-funded • Default provisions set out in law • On-going efforts

  20. 1997 CPP reforms The CPP and the retirement income system (RIS) Challenges facing the CPP prior to reforms Achieving Sustainability 1 3 2 4 Content

  21. CPP Today • Financial sustainability restored: • 9.9 % contribution rate has been in place for a decade and Plan is projected to be sustainable at this rate for at least the next 75 years • CPPIB recognized as a model internationally of transparent, arm’s length and professional management of public pension funds • Assets totalled C$120.5 billion as at June 2007

  22. Growing and Diversified Portfolio of Assets Investment Asset Mix ( in billions of C$)

  23. Tough changes made possible by. . . • The time was right for reform • General economic and financial context buttressed reform resolve. • Public consultations framed an acceptable/balanced package. • Concrete measures built confidence that the Plan would be fixed for good • New investment policy was key • Measures to strengthen Plan governance/ accountability. 4) Federal-provincial decision-making held agreement together.

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