IRISH economy to contract by 8.5% in 2020, MOODY’S warns - 19 August 2020

RMcH states: we are lucky we did not burn the bondholders in 2009! see below we are now up to A2 credit rating. helps low cost government borrowings.

The Irish economy will contract by 8.5 per cent this year as a result of the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, ratings agency Moody’s has warned.

The agency, which had previously predicted only a small economic contraction of 1.6 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), said the Government’s prudent management of the economy to date would not be enough to prevent a recession in 2020.

The strict lockdown measures implemented in the second quarter had resulted in severe disruptions on the supply side and weak domestic demand, it said.

The agency also warned of a significant downside risk to the outlook from a more adverse coronavirus impact, Brexit and global corporate tax reform.

Nonetheless, it said the activity of multinationals and the resilience of key sectors such as pharmaceuticals and information and technology would “mitigate” the impact of the shock on GDP data.

In its latest report on the Republic, it said the outlook for the State’s A2 credit rating, which facilitates the Government’s low-cost borrowing, was stable.

“Our credit view of Ireland reflects the strong growth and fiscal track record of the past few years and our expectation that the positive trends will resume after the economic shock triggered by the coronavirus outbreak has faded,” it said.

“ However, challenges will remain in the form of elevated high public debt levels and a relatively high degree of economic volatility.”

Clarity on post-Brexit trading arrangements would potentially remove a source of uncertainty and increase positive credit pressures, it added.

Moody’s said that after two years of small surpluses, it forecast the Government would record a deficit of 9.1 per cent of GDP or €30 billion this year, with strong tax collection in the first half of the year partly mitigating for the introduction of new measures to support pandemic-impacted workers and health services.

t noted that the fiscal cost of the Government’s July stimulus was €3.7 billion, including €2.8 billion in expenditure and €0.9 billion in lost revenue. The package will also extend into 2021, and its estimated cost is €1.8 billion next year.

Altogether, direct supports related to the measures announced since the start of the pandemic amount to €20.5 billion (6.2 per cent of GDP), in addition to the €2 billion credit guarantee scheme and the €2 billion Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund, it said.

“The return to sizeable deficits will halt the debt reduction trend, and we forecast the goverment’s debt burden to reach 68.1 per cent of GDP in 2020,”

“ Given that the Irish authorities have substantial cash buffers, we do not think that all of the increase in the deficit will be debt creating,” it added

The Irish Times 19 August 2020.