Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

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SUPERANNUATION (PRODUCTIVITY BENEFIT) (2000-2001 SECOND INTEREST FACTOR) DECLARATION 2000 2000 NO. 168

STATUTORY RULES 2000 No. 168

SUPERANNUATION (PRODUCTIVITY BENEFIT) ACT 1988

ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER FOR FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

DECLARATION UNDER SECTION 3E(1)(b)

SECOND INTEREST FACTOR

The Superannuation (Productivity Benefit) Act 1988 (the PB Act) provides the mechanism by which the Superannuation Guarantee (SG) minimum superannuation contribution is made available to Commonwealth employees (and certain other employees) who have no other employer-sponsored superannuation cover. Prior to 1 July 1992, the PB Act provided productivity superannuation to these employees.

Since 1 July 1990, the designated employers of employees covered by the PB Act arrangements have been required to pay periodic contributions based on the salary of the employee to the superannuation fund nominated by the Minister for Finance and Administration, or another superannuation fund approved by the Minister. Where the employee is eligible, contributions may be paid to a regulated superannuation fund as defined by the Superannuation Industry Supervision legislation.

Employers are required to pay to the same fund, on a once only basis, an amount being any entitlement accrued under the then Superannuation Benefit (Interim Arrangement) Act 1988 in respect of employment with that employer. Employers are also required to pay an amount in .respect of contributions which would have been paid after 1 July 1990 to an employee had the employee been employed by that employer and joined a fund on that date. The employer is required to pay extra amounts, as interest on any contributions which are made, to take account of loss of interest, since contributions were due to be paid on behalf of the employee and before such contributions are paid into a fund.

Paragraph 3E(1)(b) of the PB Act requires the Minister to declare before each financial year "the factor ascertained using a specified formula that is to be the declared second interest factor for that year". Subsection 3E(2) of the Act provides that the formula "is to involve the use of a rate specified in the declaration" and "may contain a variable that depends on the period, or another aspect, of the employment of the person in relation to whom the factor is to apply".

The second interest factor is used in subsection 8A(2) of the PB Act to determine the amount that is to accrue during all or part of a financial year on:

*       the amount accrued under the Superannuation Benefit (Interim Arrangement) Act 1988 up to 30 June 1990;

*       amounts which should have been paid (but were not) as regular contributions under the PB Act to a superannuation fund in financial years commencing on or after 1 July 1990 but before the year in which the payment is made; and

*       amounts which would have accumulated as interest on contributions which were due to be paid under the PB Act in financial years following 1 July 1990 up to the end of the financial year in which the payment is made.

This Declaration cited as the Superannuation (Productivity Benefit) (2000-2001 Second Interest Factor) Declaration 2000, specifies that the rate to be used in the formula for the 2000-2001 financial year is 0.0639, which is the 10 year Treasury Bond rate at April 2000 expressed as a decimal.

The effect of this formula is that interest accrues on a daily basis on each amount which had accrued prior to the date on which the person became a member of a fund or became entitled to a benefit under the PB Act.

The Declaration commenced on gazettal.