British Treasury chief Rachel Reeves is set to announce plans later Thursday to merge dozens of pension funds with the aim of unlocking tens of billions of pounds for investment and boosting the U.K.'s sub-par economic growth .
In comments released by the Treasury ahead of her speech to finance leaders in central London, Reeves will say that the creation of so-called "megafunds" will represent the "biggest pension reform in decades."
In her first so-called Mansion House speech, an annual ritual for British chancellors of the exchequer, Reeves will say that the changes could help unlock 80 billion pounds 100 billion for investment. Pension funds invest in a variety of assets, such as shares, bonds, real estate and infrastructure, in an attempt to increase the retirement benefits for their members.
The proposed merger of 86 local authority pension funds in England and Wales has echoes with schemes undertaken in Australia and Canada, where pension funds are widely seen to have taken advantage of their bigger size to invest in assets and boost growth. By 2030, the new Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales is set to manage assets worth around 500 billion pounds by 2030.
The new Labour government will introduce the reforms through a new bill in parliament next year. Early indications suggest that it has broad support across the political divide - the former Conservative government had indicated it would go down this route too - and within the pensions industry.
