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This paper surveys fiscal policy in developing countries from the point of view of long-run growth. The first section reviews existing methodologies to estimate the effects of fiscal policy shocks and of systematic fiscal policy, with time series or with cross-sectional methods, and their applicability to developing countries. The second section surveys optimal fiscal policy in developing countries, by considering the role of the intertemporal government budget, and sustainability and solvency. It also reviews the fuzzy debate on "fiscal space" and "macroeconomic space" - and the usefulness (or lack thereof) of these terms for policy analysis. The third section asks what theory tells us about the optimal cyclical behavior of fiscal policy in developing countries. It shows that it very much depends on the assumptions about the interactions between credit market imperfections at the individual, firms, or government level, and on the supply of external funds to the country. Different sets of assumptions lead to different implications about optimal cyclical behavior. The available evidence on the cyclical behavior of fiscal policy, and possible reasons for the observed prevalence of a procyclical behavior in developing countries, is also reviewed. If one agrees that fiscal policy is indeed less countercyclical than we think is optimal, the issue is how to correct the problem. One obvious question is why government do not self-insure, id est why they do not accumulate assets in upturns and decumulate them in downturns. This leads to the analysis of fiscal rules and stabilization funds, in the fourth section. The last section concludes with what the author considers important research and policy questions in each part.
Debt Markets --- Economic Stabilization --- Economic Theory and Research --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Fiscal Adjustment --- Fiscal policies --- Fiscal Policy --- Fiscal rules --- Government budget --- Government consumption --- Government spending --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Monetary authorities --- Public sector --- Public Sector Expenditure Analysis and Management --- Social security --- Stabilization policies
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November 1999 - Estimating the likely fiscal costs of future banking crises requires information about the size and composition of the banks' balance sheets and expert assessments about the accuracy of the accounting data and about certain short-term risks. There is constant demand for an estimate of the likely fiscal costs of future banking crises, but little precision can be expected in such an estimate. Honohan shows how information that is typically available to authorities could be used to get a general sense of the order of magnitude of the direct fiscal liability. What is required for such an estimate? Information about the size and composition of the banks' balance sheets; Expert assessments of the accuracy of the accounting data and of specific short-term risks to which the components are known to be subject. Honohan's method distinguishes between losses that have already crystallized and the changing risks for the immediate future. By including contingency planning for banking collapse in their fiscal calculations, authorities may risk destabilizing expectations or worsening the moral hazard in the system. But the risks of contingency planning generally outweigh the risks of sending confused signals. Insisting on ignorance is a poor way to protect against announcement errors that trigger panic. This paper - a product of Finance, Development Research Group - was produced for the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network thematic group studying the quality of fiscal adjustment. The author may be contacted at phonohan@worldbank.org.
Accounting --- Balance Sheet --- Banking Crises --- Banks and Banking Reform --- Budget --- Contingency Planning --- Conversion --- Debt Markets --- Depositors --- Emerging Markets --- Expenditure --- Expenditures --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Financial Instruments --- Financial Literacy --- Fiscal Authorities --- Fiscal Policy --- Future --- Liabilities --- Liability --- Monetary Authorities --- Moral Hazard --- Private Sector Development --- Revenue --- Tax --- Tax Rates
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This paper surveys fiscal policy in developing countries from the point of view of long-run growth. The first section reviews existing methodologies to estimate the effects of fiscal policy shocks and of systematic fiscal policy, with time series or with cross-sectional methods, and their applicability to developing countries. The second section surveys optimal fiscal policy in developing countries, by considering the role of the intertemporal government budget, and sustainability and solvency. It also reviews the fuzzy debate on "fiscal space" and "macroeconomic space" - and the usefulness (or lack thereof) of these terms for policy analysis. The third section asks what theory tells us about the optimal cyclical behavior of fiscal policy in developing countries. It shows that it very much depends on the assumptions about the interactions between credit market imperfections at the individual, firms, or government level, and on the supply of external funds to the country. Different sets of assumptions lead to different implications about optimal cyclical behavior. The available evidence on the cyclical behavior of fiscal policy, and possible reasons for the observed prevalence of a procyclical behavior in developing countries, is also reviewed. If one agrees that fiscal policy is indeed less countercyclical than we think is optimal, the issue is how to correct the problem. One obvious question is why government do not self-insure, id est why they do not accumulate assets in upturns and decumulate them in downturns. This leads to the analysis of fiscal rules and stabilization funds, in the fourth section. The last section concludes with what the author considers important research and policy questions in each part.
Debt Markets --- Economic Stabilization --- Economic Theory and Research --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Fiscal Adjustment --- Fiscal policies --- Fiscal Policy --- Fiscal rules --- Government budget --- Government consumption --- Government spending --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Monetary authorities --- Public sector --- Public Sector Expenditure Analysis and Management --- Social security --- Stabilization policies
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January 2000 - No - there is no systematic association between interest rates and the outcome of speculative attacks. Drawing on evidence from a large sample of speculative attacks in industrial and developing countries, Kraay argues that high interest rates do not defend currencies against speculative attacks. In fact, there is a striking lack of any systematic association between interest rates and the outcome of speculative attacks. The lack of clear empirical evidence on the effects of high interest rates during speculative attacks mirrors the theoretical ambiguities on this issue. This paper - a product of Macroeconomics and Growth, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to study the causes and consequences of financial crises. The author may be contacted at akraay@worldbank.org.
Balance Of Payments --- Central Bank --- Currencies and Exchange Rates --- Debt Markets --- Economic Stabilization --- Economic Theory and Research --- Emerging Markets --- Finance and Financial Sector Development --- Financial Literacy --- Fixed Exchange Rate --- Fixed Exchange Rates --- Fixed Nominal Exchange Rates --- Foreign Exchange --- Growth Rates --- Interest Rate Differentials --- Interest Rates --- International Capital Flows --- International Monetary Fund --- Macroeconomic Management --- Macroeconomics and Economic Growth --- Monetary Authorities --- Monetary Authority --- Monetary Economics --- Monetary Policy --- Monetary Shocks --- Nominal Exchange Rate --- Private Sector Development --- Real Exchange Rate --- Real Interest Rates --- Tight Monetary Policy
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