Working Papers
January 1, 0001
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1991
January 1, 1991
Budgetary Subsidies in Centrally Planned Economies in Transition
Description: This paper analyzes budgetary subsidy policy issues that arise when centrally planned economies move toward a market economy. The analysis suggests that subsidy reduction, to be successful, has to be embedded into an overall economic reform program and that during the program’s execution, former implicit subsidies are likely to become budgetized. Furthermore, additional pressure on the budget, caused by enterprise restructuring or the introduction of social safety net provisions, necessitates careful policy design. Comprehensive budgetary reform is required to prevent budgetary slippages during the transition process.
January 1, 1991
The Determinants and Efficiency of Local Authority Spending in England
Description: This paper analyzes the efficiency and determinants of local authority expenditure in England during 1989/90. The capitalization of local spending in house prices is used as a test of efficiency, and it is found that local services are in general excessive from this standpoint. The determinants of local government spending are then estimated and local incomes, the tax price faced by the electorate, and local party control are found to be significant. Application of the analysis to the recently introduced local government reforms suggest small effects on the overall level of spending.
January 1, 1991
Indicators of Fiscal Sustainability
Description: This paper assesses the usefulness of summary measures of fiscal sustainability for the purpose of multilateral surveillance. An overview of the main conceptual issues is first presented. Next, an assessment is made of the strengths and weaknesses of the summary measures in the context of their recent application to industrial countries by the OECD and the Fund. The measures are shown to highlight the inadequacy of using trends in public debt ratios to assess sustainability. However, the measures and their recent application are subject to a number of caveats, in particular in relation to their sensitivity to the discount rate, time paths of government expenditures and private sector behavior.
January 1, 1991
Response of the Equilibrium Real Exchange Rate to Real Disturbances in Developing Countries
Description: Using a simple dependent - economy framework, this paper outlines the links between the equilibrium real exchange rate and some of its fundamental exogenous determinants, mainly terms of trade movements and commercial policy changes. Drawing on existing studies of trade flows in developing countries, it is possible to derive plausible quantitative ranges for the response of the equilibrium real exchange rate to both external and policy-induced shocks. The results should be particularly relevant in designing real exchange rate targets and rules that allow for movements in the equilibrium real exchange rate in response to various shocks.
January 1, 1991
The Japanese Yen as an International Currency
Description: The role of the Japanese yen as an international currency is assessed. It is found that the determinants of international-currency use imply some increase for the yen’s use in international finance; however, the implications for the yen’s use in international trade are mixed. It is also shown that, despite Japan’s emergence as the world’s largest net creditor nation, Japan’s capital outflows have not significantly facilitated the yen’s internationalization. Data are presented showing that, although the yen’s use as an international currency has increased, it is still rather modest. Wider use of the yen as a regional currency in Asia has occurred, though a “yen-zone” does not appear to be emerging.