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The Conversation
The Conversation
Dennis Wesselbaum, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Otago

Treasury has a great cost-benefit calculator for big-spending projects – we just need to use it better

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What is the true value of a policy project? For governments tasked with improving citizens’ lives while spending taxpayers’ money responsibly, this is no mere academic question. It lies at the heart of good governance.

Public policy should create social, economic and environmental value. But determining that value in advance is difficult. Policies often have long-term, cross-sector effects that are hard to quantify.

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