Author : Mr.Julio Escolano
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1475529848
Total Pages : 21 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (755 download)
Book Synopsis Optimal Debt Policy Under Asymmetric Risk by : Mr.Julio Escolano
Download or read book Optimal Debt Policy Under Asymmetric Risk written by Mr.Julio Escolano and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2016-08-26 with total page 21 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the paper we show that, most of the time, smooth reduction in the debt ratio is optimal for tax-smoothing purposes when fiscal risks are asymmetric, with large debt-augmenting shocks more likely than commensurate debt reducing shocks. Asymmetric risks are a feature of 200 years of data for the U.S. and the U.K.: rare but recurrent large surges of the debt-to-GDP ratio, followed by very gradual but persistent declines over long periods. More informal evidence from many other countries suggests that asymmetry is a general feature of fiscal shocks. The gradual smooth reduction in the public debt to GDP ratio is not a response to past developments. Instead it is optimal given recurrent fiscal risks and the empirical characteristics of fiscal shocks. The behavior of the debt-to-GDP ratio in the U.K. and the U.S. seems roughly compatible with the prescriptions of the tax-smoothing model.