Download or read book The Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal Consolidation in Emerging Economies Evidence from Latin America written by Mr.Yan Carriere-Swallow and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2018-06-13 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We estimate the short-term effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in 14 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. We examine contemporaneous policy documents to identify changes in fiscal policy motivated by a desire to reduce the budget deficit and not by responding to prospective economic conditions. Based on this narrative dataset, our estimates suggest that fiscal consolidation has contractionary effects on GDP, consistent with a multiplier of 0.9. We find these effects to be close to those in OECD countries based on a similarly constructed dataset (Devries and others, 2011). We also find similar estimation results for the two groups of economies for the effect of fiscal consolidation on the external current account balance, providing support for the twin deficits hypothesis.

Download or read book Fiscal Consolidations and Electoral Outcomes in Emerging Economies written by Martín Ardanaz and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do voters punish governments that introduce fiscal "austerity" measures? If so, does voter response vary according to the design (composition) of fiscal adjustments? What determines the timing of fiscal consolidations? The empirical literature on the political economy of fiscal adjustments, mostly OECD-based, argues that consolidations do not have significant electoral consequences. This paper re-examines these questions and finds that voters punish fiscal consolidations at the polls in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). To explain this result, we focus on the composition and timing of fiscal adjustments episodes. Such episodes rely fundamentally on increasing tax rates and bases of indirect taxes (such as the VAT) that hit broad segments of the population. Moreover, these policies are often implemented when politicians have no choice but to consolidate, that is, under severe economic circumstances. These macro results are corroborated with micro evidence from an original survey experiment that measures voter's fiscal policy preferences over the business cycle in seven countries across Latin America. The experimental evidence shows that respondents prefer expenditure cuts to tax increases during recessions. This begs the question - if tax increases are more electorally costly, why do governments rely on them? It is argued the policy choice set available to pursue fiscal consolidation is relatively narrow in LAC, suggesting that investments in fiscal capacity are needed to expand the policy toolset of governments in the face of negative shocks.

Download or read book Fiscal Policy Challenges for Latin America During the Next Stages of the Pandemic The Need for a Fiscal Pact written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-03-18 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fiscal policy response to the COVID-19 shock in most LAC countries was much larger than during the GFC, suggesting fiscal space was not as tight as expected. We argue that it is feasible and desirable, though not without risks, to embark in a more gradual consolidation path than currently envisaged by several countries in the region. Avoiding an early withdrawal of support in 2021 and 2022 is important given that countries are still facing high rates of contagion and deaths, vaccination will take place very slowly, the economic recovery is partial, uncertain and not strong enough to help those most affected by the twin public health and economic crisis. At the center of this discussion is our conviction that fiscal space is not set in stone and it is endogenous to the medium-term targets and commitments undertaken by governments and congresses throughout the region. Also, revisions to fiscal responsibility frameworks should help anchor fiscal sustainability, as well as improve their effectiveness and flexibility. In this context, low-for-long interest rates and easy market access is generating a situation that, in spite of higher debt levels, interest cost on public debt will remain contained in the foreseeable future. Especially if, as argued in this paper, a more gradual fiscal consolidation path is accompanied with stronger commitments and institutional frameworks that ensure debt is put on a credible downward trajectory once the pandemic is under control. Catalyzing these changes, as well as initiating the debate to design other fiscal reforms to strengthen social protection and increase the progressivity of public finances, would require a broad social consensus and political cohesion around several crucial dimensions of public finances: a fiscal pact. On the other hand, if this agenda is neglected the continuation of low growth, social discontent, and political polarization could drive Latin America towards a very dangerous path of institutional and economic decay.

Download or read book Latin American Macroeconomic Reforms written by José Antonio González and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-04-15 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hidden behind a number of economic crises in the mid- to late 1990s-including Argentina's headline-grabbing monetary and political upheaval-is that fact that Latin American economies have, generally speaking, improved dramatically in recent years. Their success has been due, in large part, to macroeconomic reforms, and this book brings together prominent economists and policymakers to assess a decade of such policy shifts, highlighting both the many success stories and the areas in which further work is needed. Contributors offer both case studies of individual countries and regional overviews, covering monetary, financial, and fiscal policy. Contributors also work to identify future concerns and erect clear signposts for future reforms. For instance, now that inflation rates have been stabilized, one suggested "second stage" monetary reform would be to focus on reducing rates from high to low single digits. Financial sector reforms, it is suggested, should center on improving regulation and supervision. And, contributors argue, since fiscal stability has already been achieved in most countries, new fiscal reforms need to concentrate on institutionalizing fiscal discipline, improving the efficiency and equity of tax collection, and modifying institutional arrangements to deal with increasingly decentralized federal systems. The analysis and commentary in this volume-authored not only by academic observers but by key Latin American policymakers with decades of firsthand experience-will prove important to anyone with an interest in the future of Latin American's continuing economic development and reform. Contributors to this volume: José Antonio González, Stanford University Anne O. Krueger, International Monetary Fund Vittorio Corbo, Pontifical Catholic University, Chile Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel, Central Bank of Chile Alejandro Werner, Bank of Mexico Márcio G. P. Garcia, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio Tatiana Didier, World Bank Gustavo H. B. Franco, former president, Central Bank of Brazil Francisco Gil Díaz, Minister of the Treasury, Mexico Roberto Zahler, former governor, Central Bank of Chile Ricardo J. Caballero, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Philip L. Brock, University of Washington Stephen Haber, Stanford University Pablo E. Guidotti, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires Vito Tanzi, International Monetary Fund Enrique Dávila, Ministry of Finance, Mexico Santiago Levy, Mexican Social Security Institute Ricardo Fenochietto, private consultant, Buenos Aires Rogério L. F. Werneck, Pontifical Catholic University, Rio Carola Pessino, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Buenos Aires Michael Michaely, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Download or read book Resilience in Latin America written by Mr.Jose De Gregorio and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper analyzes the unprecedented resilience of Latin American countries to the global financial crisis. It argues that sound macroeconomic conditions, which allowed an unusual monetary and fiscal expansion, exchange rate flexibility, a strong and well--regulated financial system, high level of reserves, and a bit of luck coming from very high terms of trade, were central to good economic performance. Persevering along the road of strong macroeconomic and financial policies is necessary, but not sufficient, to go from recovery to sustained growth.

Download or read book Fiscal Policy in Latin America written by Oya Celasun and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-04-30 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Latin America’s bold fiscal policy reaction to the global financial crisis was hailed as a sign that the region had finally overcome its procyclical fiscal past. However, most countries of the region have not yet rebuilt their fiscal space, despite buoyant commodity revenues and relatively strong growth in the aftermath of the crisis. Using the experience of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, this paper examines the lessons and legacies of the crisis by addressing the following questions, among others: How much did the 2009 fiscal stimulus help growth? What shortcomings were revealed in the fiscal policy frameworks? What institutional reforms are now needed to provide enduring anchors for fiscal policy? How much rebuilding of buffers is needed going forward?

Download or read book Managing Economic Volatility in Latin America written by Mr.R. Gelos and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-03-27 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How has Latin America coped with external shocks and economic vulnerabilities in the aftermath of the global financial crisis? Managing Economic Volatility in Latin America looks at how the region has fared in recent years in an environment of uncertainty. It presents a collection of novel contributions on capital flows, terms of trade, and macroeconomic policy in Latin America. The rigorous expert analysis offers an up-to-date guide to many of the key economic policy questions in the region. Chapters focus on important analytical issues, including assessing reserves adequacy and current account levels. The roles of macroeconomic policies and exchange rates regimes in coping with large capital inflows are examined, as well as the effectiveness of both monetary policy and fiscal policy in dealing with economic challenges in the region.

Download or read book Fiscal Policy in Latin America over the Cycle written by Mr.Alexander Klemm and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-04-16 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper provides an analysis of the cyclical stance of fiscal policy in Latin America. Its contributions include developing a new measure of the cyclicality of fiscal policy, careful analysis of the statistical significance of results, and accounting for the effect of commodity prices on fiscal balances. The new cyclicality measure takes into account both discretionary policy action and automatic stabilizers, but excludes additional revenues that are due to applying an unchanged average tax rate to nominal GDP in excess of potential. The paper finds that fiscal policy has been procyclical on average in Latin America, but counter or acyclical in advanced economies. Country-specific results are mostly insignificant, except in a few cases where policy is clearly procyclical. For some countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, and Mexico), there is evidence of a recent move toward more countercyclical policies.

Download or read book Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Rate and Base Changes Evidence from Fiscal Consolidations written by Ms.Era Dabla-Norris and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2018-09-28 with total page 47 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines the macroeconomic effects of tax changes during fiscal consolidations. We build a new narrative dataset of tax changes during fiscal consolidation years, containing detailed information on the expected revenue impact, motivation, and announcement and implementation dates of nearly 2,500 tax measures across 10 OECD countries. We analyze the macroeconomic impact of tax changes, distinguishing between tax rate and tax base changes, and further separating between changes in personal income, corporate income, and value added tax. Our results suggest that base broadening during fiscal consolidations leads to smaller output and employment declines compared to rate hikes, even when distinguishing between tax types.

Download or read book A Mandate to Grow written by Eduardo A. Cavallo and published by Inter-American Development Bank. This book was released on 2018-03-15 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2018 Macroeconomic Report, A Mandate to Grow, revisits the growth debate that has been raging in the region for the past half century. Viewing the debate from this long-term perspective allows for a focus on the structural factors that have prevented Latin America and the Caribbean from reaching the growth potential required to keep pace with faster growing regions and to fulfill the aspirations of its population.

Download or read book Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Rate and Base Changes written by Frederico Lima and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines the macroeconomic effects of tax changes during fiscal consolidations. We build a new narrative dataset of tax changes during fiscal consolidation years, containing detailed information on the expected yield, motivation, and announcement and implementation dates of more than 2,000 tax measures across 10 OECD countries. Using this data, we then analyze the macroeconomic impact of tax changes, distinguishing between tax rate and tax base changes, and further differentiating between changes in personal income, corporate income, and value added taxes. Our results suggest that base broadening during fiscal consolidations leads to smaller output and employment declines compared to rate hikes, even when distinguishing between tax types.

Download or read book Fiscal Policy and Income Inequality written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-07-03 with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NULL

Download or read book Emerging Capital Markets and Globalization written by Augusto de la Torre and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2006-10-20 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Back in the early 1990s, economists and policy makers had high expectations about the prospects for domestic capital market development in emerging economies, particularly in Latin America. Unfortunately, they are now faced with disheartening results. Stock and bond markets remain illiquid and segmented. Debt is concentrated at the short end of the maturity spectrum and denominated in foreign currency, exposing countries to maturity and currency risk. Capital markets in Latin America look particularly underdeveloped when considering the many efforts undertaken to improve the macroeconomic environment and to reform the institutions believed to foster capital market development. The disappointing performance has made conventional policy recommendations questionable, at best. 'Emerging Capital Markets and Globalization' analyzes where we stand and where we are heading on capital market development. First, it takes stock of the state and evolution of Latin American capital markets and related reforms over time and relative to other countries. Second, it analyzes the factors related to the development of capital markets, with particular interest on measuring the impact of reforms. And third, in light of this analysis, it discusses the prospects for capital market development in Latin America and emerging economies and the implications for the reform agenda.

Download or read book From Stimulus to Consolidation written by Juan Toro R. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2010-10-06 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper identifies policy tools that could be used for fiscal consolidation in advanced and emerging economies in the years ahead. The consolidation strategy, particularly in advanced countries, should aim to stabilize age-related spending in relation to GDP, reduce non-age-related expenditure ratios, and increase revenues. Bold reforms are needed to offset projected increases in age-related spending, particularly health care. On the revenue side, measures could include improving tax compliance, for example through better international cooperation, as well as increasing the yield from VAT by eliminating exemptions and reduced rates, further developing property taxes, and increasing excise rates within the range of rates already applicable in comparable countries.

Download or read book The Economic Effects of Fiscal Consolidation with Debt Feedback written by Mr.Marcello M. Estevão and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-05-31 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past several years of recession and slow recovery have raised much interest on the effect of fiscal stimulus on economic activity, even as high public debts in many countries would call for fiscal consolidation. To evaluate the delicate balance between stimulus and consolidation requires measuring the size of fiscal multipliers, which often depends on having quarterly data so that exogenous fiscal policy shocks can be identified. We estimate fiscal multipliers using a novel methodology for identifying fiscal shocks within a structural vector autoregressive approach using annual data while controling for debt feedback effects. The estimation focuses on regions with scarce quarterly data (mostly low-income countries), and uses results for advanced economies, emerging market countries, and other broad groupings for which alternative estimates are available to validate the methodology. Differently from advanced and emerging market economies, fiscal consolidation in low-income countries has only a small temporary negative effect on growth while raising medium-term output. Shifting the composition of public spending toward capital expenditure further supports long-run growth.

Download or read book The Effectiveness of Fiscal Policy in Stimulating Economic Activity written by Richard Hemming and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2002-12 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the effectiveness of fiscal policy. The focus is on the size of fiscal multipliers, and on the possibility that multipliers can turn negative (i.e., that fiscal contractions can be expansionary). The paper concludes that fiscal multipliers are overwhelmingly positive but small. However, there is some evidence of negative fiscal multipliers.

Download or read book Fiscal Policy and Long Term Growth written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-04-20 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper explores how fiscal policy can affect medium- to long-term growth. It identifies the main channels through which fiscal policy can influence growth and distills practical lessons for policymakers. The particular mix of policy measures, however, will depend on country-specific conditions, capacities, and preferences. The paper draws on the Fund’s extensive technical assistance on fiscal reforms as well as several analytical studies, including a novel approach for country studies, a statistical analysis of growth accelerations following fiscal reforms, and simulations of an endogenous growth model.