Debt administration is the management of government borrowing and of servicing of the outstanding debt. In general, local governments may be permitted to borrow for legitimate infrastructure purposes if they have the capacity to service their debt without requiring assistance from higher governments. The key to borrowing is to convince prospective lenders that they will be repaid on schedule. The fundamental objectives of debt management are effectiveness (the ability to meet the medium- and long-term needs for the finance of infrastructure development);efficiency (borrowing at lowest possible net cost); equity (distribution of infrastructure cost fairly across generations);and accountability (adequate disclosure of debt and debt service program to officials, citizenry, and relevant third parties). Debt management avoids imprudent debt structures and strategies that might threaten fiscal sustainability and future access to debt markets.
Although borrowing can be an excellent way to finance the development of long-life capital infrastructure,it does carry a long-term first claim on public revenues and can create continuing problems for fiscal sustainability if localities borrow to finance continuing operations. Furthermore,local government borrowing can conflict with a national macroeconomic stabilization policy that is designed to constrain inflationary pressures. Such borrowing is self-limiting, in the sense that doubts about the ability to service debt will ultimately exclude the government from debt markets. No amount of manipulation of debt terms or special enhancements will succeed in maintaining access to debt markets if there is doubt about the reliability of debt service.
Proper debt and borrowing policy is crucial for local governments because high debt-service costs can crowd out local spending for continuing services,including those that are absolutely crucial for the citizenry (education, poverty reduction, public health, public safety, and the like). Misuse of borrowing can put the fiscal viability of a government in jeopardy—misuse meaning the use of borrowing to finance operating expenses of government (an operating deficit) and expansion of debt for capital infrastructure that exceeds the debt service capacity of the government. Nonetheless, debt issuance is an appropriate mechanism for financing long-life government capital assets.
Because the proper use of borrowing is the non recurring acquisition of long-life capital infrastructure, it is normal that there be a close link between development of the local capital (or development) budget and debt management. Debt management information can help guide the cycle of asset acquisition to avoid high debt burdens,bunching-up of debt issues, and other features that may cause necessary interest rates to increase. Because of the long-term consequences of local government debt and the attractiveness of borrowing to local politicians,local borrowing,debt policy, and debt management are subject to considerable central control and supervision in many countries.
A responsible local debt-management policy embodies principles of fiscal sustainability and discipline: