Definition: Operational lease

Category: External debt - IMF

Operational leases are arrangements in which machinery or equipment is rented out for specified periods of time that are shorter than the total expected service lives of the machinery or equipment. Typically under an operational lease, the lessor normally maintains the stock of equipment in good working order, and the equipment can be hired on demand or at short notice; the equipment may be rented out for varying periods of time; and the lessor is frequently responsible for the maintenance and repair of the equipment as part of the service which he provides to the lessee. Under an operational lease, ownership of the equipment does not change hands; rather, the lessor is regarded as providing a service to the lessee, on a continuous basis. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/statmanuals/files/external_debt_guide_2003_EN.pdf#page=227