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本帖最后由 爱城闲人 于 2014-12-9 20:36 编辑 b: H3 S, S/ W5 V% ~
/ e3 a6 i7 ~4 w1 u0 G0 I1 RPremier Says Low Oil Prices Could Leave Hole in Provincial Budget
3 z y; x% ~% k7 m% Z8 [7 \Tuesday, December 09, 2014 - Economy, Infrastructure, Oil
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; H3 r8 t1 d2 m8 u: AThe price of oil hovered around $63 US/barrel Tuesday after one of its worst days in years Tuesday.5 @8 S% K4 y- z% h6 z; Q3 F
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And Premier Jim Prentice says low prices could leave a $7 billion hole in the province’s budget.
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Prentice gave his “State of the Province” speech to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Tuesday.
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; {; H7 w3 ?5 o! l& t+ QTwo weeks ago, the Premier said the government expected oil prices to end the year between $65 US/barrel and $75 US/barrel. At that time he said low prices would have “consequences for all Albertans.”
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. g. p U9 S0 ]( J i9 z2 KNow, with prices lower than $65 US/barrel, Prentice says low prices could leave a $6-$7 billion hole in Alberta’s $40 billion budget.
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9 G" M9 a& h, M2 H! Q" ?+ B' ?Prentice says the government will have to reduce spending if low prices are sustained. He says across-the-board cuts in spending won’t happen, instead Prentice says his government will focus on core services and limit spending below the rate of growth, plus inflation.
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) L8 S) i+ F/ s0 Q( D$ }/ n! `: ~“It is incumbent on us to adjust our expectations and adjust our spending to begin to mitigate these risks for the long-term. And the solution cannot be to simply wait for the next upswing in prices,” he says.
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9 S, q+ Z+ l( xTuesday’s comments come days after a Morgan Stanley report said crude oil prices could drop to $43 US/barrel in 2015 before rebounding.% M$ f# O8 l- P
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Last year’s provincial budget was based on a forecasted price of $95 US/barrel.
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Prentice says future budgets will rely on much more conservative price estimates.
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* o! ~; i* W. Y“In the long-term, a budget that is tied to to volatile energy prices year-in, year-out represents a significant risk.”
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: K, \* |. ` e9 EPrentice also says the government is not considering a provincial sales tax to cover possible shortfalls from low oil prices.
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发表于 2014-12-9 15:59
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