Toronto -- Standard&Poor's CreditWire 11/10/98 -- Standard&Poor's today affirmed its double-`A'-plus senior unsecured debt and issuer credit rating on the Province of Alberta. Standard&Poor's also affirmed its `A-1'-plus short-term rating on Alberta's U.S. commercial paper (short-term borrowing) program. The ratings on the Province of Alberta reflect: -- The expectation of continued debt reduction, albeit at a more modest pace than the very rapid debt reduction of 1995 through 1998; -- Strong budget performance through the medium term, safeguarded by conservative spending management in periods of lower-than-anticipated energy revenues; and -- The economy's high and rising income levels, as well as its concentration in the often volatile energy sector. Another extraordinary fiscal performance in 1998
