Financial accounts, Q4 2010

1. Net lending defined in non-financial accounts (capital account) =

saving + net capital transfers - net acquisition of non-financial assets

2. Net lending defined in financial accounts =

net acquisition of financial assets - net incurrence of liabilities

Savings is non-consumed income and can be invested in financial or non-financial assets. If savings exceed non-financial investments, a sector has surplus of funds and becomes a net lender to other sectors. In the financial transaction account, this means that the sector acquire more financial assets than liabilities. On the other hand, if savings are less than non-financial investments, investments have to be funded either by selling financial assets or incurring debts. For example, household investments in non-financial assets mainly reflect the purchase of new housing and fixed investments by unincorporated enterprises. They typically finance substantial parts of these investments by incurring debt in the form of loans.

Net financial assets (net financial wealth) = total financial assets - total liabilities

The financial balance sheet shows the financial position of a sector at the end of the reference period and is broken down into categories of financial assets and liabilities. The predominant assets held by, for example, the households are insurance technical reserves, currency and deposits, while loans provided by financial corporations (banks etc) constitute the main proportion of liabilities.

Changes in net financial asset = net lending + other change in assets, net

The change in the financial balance sheet during the reference period is a result of accumulated financial transactions and other changes in assets. The latter category mainly reflects revaluations due to changes in market prices of financial instruments.

Accounting system

The accounting system provides the framework and contents required for compiling national accounts statistics. In the system, each financial asset has a counterpart liability. This is reflected by the data structure of the financial accounts which is three-dimensional; creditor sector * debtor sector * financial instrument.

Institutional sector classification

Each institutional sector comprises institutional units with broadly similar behaviour. The institutional units are grouped into mutually exclusive institutional sectors on the basis of economic activity, organisational structure and ownership. Institutional units are autonomous entities that are capable, in their own right, of owning assets, incurring liabilities and engaging in economic activities and in transactions with other entities. In most cases, the institutional unit is identical to the legal unit or persons or groups of persons in the form of households.

The institutional sector classification in the financial accounts is based on the recommendations of the SNA 2008 and ESA 2010. The main sectors of system are detailed below:

 1 Total economy

The total economy of a country consists of all institutional units having their centre of predominant economic interest in the economic territory of that country. Such uints are known as resident units, irrespsctive of natonalty and legal form.

Braches and other establishment of Norwegian corporation abroad are not included. See rest of world.

11 Non-financial corporations

The sector covers institutional units engaged in the market production of non-financial products and services. The main sector is divided into the following sub-sectors: 

• Public enterprises, owned by central government
• Public enterprises, owned by local government
• Private non-financial enterprises including private non-profit institutions serving enterprises

The reconciliation sector, which shows the inconsistencies between debtor and creditor sector information, is treated as a separate sector. The data for the reconciliation sector has been added to the non-financial corporation sector in the reports to Eurostat and OECD.

  12 Financial corporations

The sector covers institutional units engaged the market production of financial services and in financial activities. The sector comprise entities that are credit intermediaries or offer insurance products and services, mutual funds, financial holding companies, but also entities whose main activities are financial auxiliary services (e. g. brokerage services, fund management services, financial register services etc.). The main sector is divided into the following sub-sectors:

• Norges Bank
• Other monetary financial institutions
•      Banks (commercial and savings banks)
•      Mortgage companies
•      Money market funds
• Other financial intermediaries, except insurance corporations and pension funds
•      Mutual funds expect money market funds
•      Finance companies
•      Investment trusts and private equity funds
•      Financial holding companies and financial auxiliaries
•      State lending institutions and state investment companies
• Insurance corporations and pension funds
•      Life-insurance companies and
•      Non-life insurance companies
•      Pension funds

  13 General government

The sector covers all state, municipal and county municipal administrative bodies. The Government Pension Fund - Global (previously known as Petroleum Fund) and The Government Pension Fund - Norway (previously known as the National Insurance Scheme Fund) are also included. Public corporations and unincorporated public enterprises (financial or non-financial) are not included.

In addition to carrying out political responsibilities, the general government sector provides and enforces regulations, produces public services (mainly non-market) and redistributes income and wealth. The general government sector has tax revenues and borrowed capital at its disposal. The main sector is divided into the following sub-sectors:

•  Central government
•  Local government

14 Households

The households sector covers wage-earners, retirees, recipients of national insurance benefits, unincorporated enterprises and tenant-owner’s associations etc. The households consume goods and

services, supplies labour and as entrepreneurs, supplies the production of market goods and services. The sector comprises the &“consumers of the economy´´. Total consumption expenditure is partly financed by the households themselves, partly by general government and partly non-profit institutions serving households. The households also produces goods and services for their own consumption. The services related to housing is the largest part of the self-produced, self-consumed service. Because the property in tenant-owner’s associations are considered as owner-tenant properties, the tenant-owner associations are included in the households sector.

  15 Non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH)

NPISHs consist of non-profit institutions that are separate legal entities, which serve households and which are principally engaged in the production of non-market goods and services intended for households. Their main resources, apart from those derived from occasional sales, are transfers from general government, voluntary contributions by households and corporations, and property income.

  2 Rest of the world

This institutional sector includes all non-resident institutional units that enter into transactions with resident units, or have other economic links with resident units. This includes:

• Non-resident institutional units controlled by foreign or Norwegian corporations.
• Natural persons who are permanent resident abroad (including Norwegian citizens)
• Staff of foreign embassies, foreign embassies and consulates and  in Norway

The classification of financial assets and liabilities

The financial accounts include a limited number of financial instrument groups with detailed claims and debt items in the balance sheets of institutional units. The financial instrument links one entity claim to another sector’s debt items. The financial instruments are grouped in claim and debt items with similar economic functions. For example, the payment function is characteristic of coins, notes and salary accounts, while credit is procured through different types of loans. In addition, the liquidity ratio has been the determinant factor for the ranking of financial assets in the classification.

Classification of financial assets and liabilities in the financial accounts is based on the recommendations of the SNA 2008 and ESA 2010. The classifications are described below:

AF1 Monetary gold and drawing rights (SDR)

Comprise gold and special drawing rights (SDRs). Norges Bank sold most of its gold reserves in the 4 ^th quarter of 2003 and the rest of the reserves in the 2 ^nd quarter of 2004. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Monetary gold
• Special drawing rights (SDR)

AF2 Currency and deposits

Comprise Norwegian and foreign notes and coins, all types of deposits with commercial banks and savings banks, Norges Bank and foreign banks. The net reserves position with the IMF is also included. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Currency
• Deposits
•     Transferable deposits
•     Other deposits

AF3 Dept securities

Comprise short and long-term securities. Short-term securities is defined as negotiable securities with original maturity of maximum one year, while long-term securities comprise instruments defined as tradable standardised debentures with original maturity of more than one year. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Short-term securities
• Long-term securities

AF4 Loans

This financial instrument includes lending forms other than tradable debentures and certificates and is mainly quantified on the basis of the specifications in accounting statistics for financial corporations. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Short-term loans
• Long-term loans

AF5 Shares and other equity

The instrument includes ordinary shares in limited liability companies, shares in general partnerships and shares in mutual funds. Shares in foreign companies are also included. Furthermore, the instrument includes tradable Norwegian equity certificates and general government capital contributions in public enterprises and the state lending institutions. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Shares
•      Quoted shares
•      Unquoted shares
• Equity certificates
• Capital contributions
• Mutual funds shares

AF6 Insurance technical reserves

The instrument includes individual insurance savings and group insurance savings in private life insurance companies and total capital in autonomous municipal and private pension funds. Prepayments of premiums and reserves against outstanding claims in non-life insurance companies are also included.

The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Non-life insurance technical reserves and provisions for calls under standardised guarantees
• Life insurance and annuity entitlements
• Pension entitlements
• Claims of pension funds on pension managers 

AF7 Financial derivatives and employee stock options

Financial derivatives are not quantified as a separate financial instrument but are included in AF8 Other accounts receivable/payable (see AF8).

• Financial derivatives
• Employee stock options

AF8 Other accounts receivabl e/payable

Comprise claims and debt that is due to differences in timing between transactions and payments. For example credit extended to a customer/supplier credit, deferred tax claims/liabilities. Included are also other financial items that do not belong to the previously listed instruments. Derivatives recorded in the accounting statistics are included. The financial accounts distinguish between the following types of detailed financial instruments:

• Trade credits and advances
• Other accounts receivable/payable
•     Tax claims/tax debt
•     Other accounts receivable/payable excluding tax claims/tax debt