Fiscal Rules and Fiscal Councils: Recent Trends and Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fiscal Rules and Fiscal Councils: Recent Trends and Performance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author: Mr. Hamid R Davoodi

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2022-01-27

Total Pages: 41

ISBN-13:

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Adoption of fiscal rules and fiscal councils continued to increase globally over the last decades based on two new global datasets. During the pandemic, fiscal frameworks were put to test. The widespread use of escape clauses was one of the novelties in this crisis, which helped provide policy room to respond to the health crisis. But the unprecedented fiscal actions have led to large and widespread deviations from deficit and debt limits. The evidence shows that fiscal rules, in general, have been flexible during crises but have not prevented a large and persistent buildup of debt over time. Experience shows that deviations from debt limits are very difficult to reverse. The paper also presents evidence on the benefits of a good track record in abiding by the rules. All these highlight the difficult policy choices ahead and need to further improve rules-based fiscal frameworks.

Fiscal Politics
Fiscal Politics

Author: Vitor Gaspar

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2017-04-07

Total Pages: 548

ISBN-13: 1475547900

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Two main themes of the book are that (1) politics can distort optimal fiscal policy through elections and through political fragmentation, and (2) rules and institutions can attenuate the negative effects of this dynamic. The book has three parts: part 1 (9 chapters) outlines the problems; part 2 (6 chapters) outlines how institutions and fiscal rules can offer solutions; and part 3 (4 chapters) discusses how multilevel governance frameworks can help.

Independent Fiscal Councils: Recent Trends and Performance
Independent Fiscal Councils: Recent Trends and Performance

Author: Mr.Roel M. W. J. Beetsma

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2018-03-23

Total Pages: 28

ISBN-13: 1484348281

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Countries increasingly rely on independent fiscal councils to constrain policymakers’ discretion and curb the bias towards excessive deficits and pro-cyclical policies. Since fiscal councils are often recent and heterogeneous across countries, assessing their impact is challenging. Using the latest (2016) vintage of the IMF Fiscal Council Dataset, we focus on two tasks expected to strengthen fiscal performance: the preparation or assessment of forecasts, and the monitoring of compliance with fiscal rules. Tentative econometric evidence suggests that the presence of a fiscal council is associated with more accurate and less optimistic fiscal forecasts, as well as greater compliance with fiscal rules.

The Return to Fiscal Rules
The Return to Fiscal Rules

Author: Francesca Caselli

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2022-10-11

Total Pages: 37

ISBN-13:

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Governments face difficult policy trade-offs with record debt levels, tightening monetary policies, and urgent demands, including food and energy crises, the climate agenda, and population aging. Governments need to communicate fiscal plans to reduce debt sustainability risks and promote consistent macroeconomic policies. Many envisage a return to fiscal rules that had been suspended during the pandemic to strengthen credibility. This situation offers an opportunity to rethink fiscal rules and determine how governments can make fiscal policy more agile, including in responding to crises, without undermining fiscal sustainability. A risk-based medium-term fiscal framework that combines standards, rules, and strengthened institutions would strike a better balance between flexibility and credibility.

Global Trends 2040
Global Trends 2040

Author: National Intelligence Council

Publisher: Cosimo Reports

Published: 2021-03

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 9781646794973

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"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.

Fiscal Policy in a Turbulent Era
Fiscal Policy in a Turbulent Era

Author: Enrique Alberola

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2024-02-12

Total Pages: 253

ISBN-13: 1035300567

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Recognising the regained importance of fiscal policy over the last two decades, this timely book provides much-needed insight into the changing practice of fiscal policy and how it is adapting to the unpredictable nature of the 21st century. Expert academic and practitioner contributors consider the resources which underpin current fiscal policy, assessing its overall effectiveness before outlining the changing priorities –ageing, inequality, climate change- and the financial tools available, and considering the future of fiscal policy in uncertain times.

Green Growth in South Asia
Green Growth in South Asia

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2023-10-03

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 1464820260

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Notwithstanding global growth weakness and financial pressures, growth in South Asia is expected to remain robust, supported by slower fiscal consolidation than in other EMDEs, strong public investment, and a recovery as financial stress has subsided. Policy challenges include, in the short-term, preserving financial stability and restoring fiscal sustainability and, in the long-term, rekindling investment, and managing an energy transition. Currently, the energy intensity of South Asian economies is almost twice the global average—despite a decline over the past two decades that was almost entirely driven by firm-level, within-sector cuts in energy intensity. The potential benefit of regulatory policies, information interventions, and financial support to help accelerate the diffusion of these technologies, as well as the possibility that these could also lend broader support for countries' development objectives. The transition away from fossil fuels may have considerable labor market impacts. A wide range of policies, including better access to high-quality education, finance, and markets; improved labor mobility; and strengthened social safety nets, will be needed to facilitate the adjustment in labor markets while protecting vulnerable workers.

Evaluating Fiscal Rules for Lesotho
Evaluating Fiscal Rules for Lesotho

Author: Mr. Yibin Mu

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2022-12-06

Total Pages: 23

ISBN-13:

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A key challenge for Lesotho is the downward rigidity in public expenditure—which increases when SACU transfers are buoyant but fails to be pared back when they fall. Fiscal rules would be of value in Lesotho to help provide constraints on spending and resist political pressure to overspend, while embedding fiscal responsibility within the country’s macro-fiscal framework and ensuring debt sustainability. This paper evaluates options for fiscal rules for Lesotho, discusses the institutional framework required to help underpin a sound fiscal-rule framework, posits a possible fiscal-rule framework for Lesotho, and offers a roadmap to introduce the framework.

Perspectives on Economics and Management
Perspectives on Economics and Management

Author: Saibal Ghosh

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2024-08-28

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1040113885

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The world of economics and management is being reshaped in more ways than one including rapid advancements in technology and business practices. This book weaves together a diverse set of issues such as consumption patterns, wealth disparities and the management, behaviour and financial health of businesses and consumers to analyse the effectiveness of economic and business strategies. Rapid technological advancements along with the need for cost-effectiveness and convenience are making service providers embrace technology as a partner rather than a tool in their economic journey. Relatedly, traditional management philosophy is coming under a scanner, with an increasing emphasis on holistic development of the organization, rather than a top-down approach, as has been the case in the past. Understanding major developments in economic and financial policymaking has perennially been a key concern of public policy, shaped by recent global and related developments, this has necessitated a relook at these issues, couched in a cross-cutting perspective. Viewed from this standpoint, the present volume, written to honour the rich academic work of the eminent economist Professor Anindya Sen intersects this triad of economics, finance and public policy that are integral to policy thinking and its formulation. The smorgasbord of research ideas, involving both theoretical analysis and empirical evidence, presented in this volume, provides useful perspectives on the drivers that are continually reshaping the dynamism in the world around us and, in the process, integrates a multidisciplinary perspective of focusing on several pertinent policy challenges. This book will be useful to researchers and students of economics, finance and public policy, economic theorists, microeconomics, and even to those with a broader canvass such as researchers in macroeconomics, international economics, business, management and marketing.

Improving Fiscal Transparency to Raise Government Efficiency and Reduce Corruption Vulnerabilities in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe
Improving Fiscal Transparency to Raise Government Efficiency and Reduce Corruption Vulnerabilities in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe

Author: Mr.Bernardin Akitoby

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2020-05-11

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 1513532839

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This departmental paper investigates how countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) can improve fiscal transparency, thereby raising government efficiency and reducing corruption vulnerabilities.