Rigidities and Fiscal Space in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : United Nations Publications
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 46 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (126 download)

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Book Synopsis Rigidities and Fiscal Space in Latin America by : Oscar Centrángolo

Download or read book Rigidities and Fiscal Space in Latin America written by Oscar Centrángolo and published by United Nations Publications. This book was released on 2010 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper begins with a conceptual overview and comparative analysis of the cases studied in Latin America. First, there is an analysis and review of the theoretical justifications and arguments used in the political debate which underlies the emergence and persistence of rigidities in countries of the region, following a typology which allows for the classification of the reasons for rigidities. Based on the case studies the potential effects of fiscal rigidities on public budgets and their impact on fiscal-policy management are evaluated. The ultimate goal of this comparative study is to provide a set of recommendations to help guide future improvements in the management of public budgets.

Fiscal Policy in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1498304419
Total Pages : 37 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (983 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal Policy in Latin America by : Oya Celasun

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?

Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 1464815208
Total Pages : 73 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean by : Santiago Herrera

Download or read book Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean written by Santiago Herrera and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-04-23 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Policy makers in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) often complain that poor fiscal performance in their countries is a result of a high degree of spending rigidity. Despite being a common complaint, the issue has remained largely ignored by the literature because of the lack of adequate measures of rigidity that allow cross-country and time series comparability. This report helps close this gap by introducing a new measure of spending rigidities that can be easily applied to multiple countries. It focuses on the categories of spending that are naturally inflexible--wages, pensions, transfers to subnational governments, and debt service--and separates them into two components: structural and nonstructural. The structural component is determined by economic, demographic, and institutional fundamentals. The nonstructural component is determined by short-run transitory factors associated with business and political cycles. The degree of rigidity of spending is then proxied by the ratio of structural spending to total spending, with a higher value indicating that spending is driven mostly by factors out of the policy makers’ control. This concept of rigidity was applied to 120 countries for the years 2000†“17 and produced several interesting results: • Advanced economies and developing countries in other regions have higher levels of rigidity than countries in LAC. • The sources of rigidity vary by country. • Higher rigidity is associated with higher spending levels, higher tax rates, higher public debt, and lower efficiency of public spending. • Rigidity has pervasive effects on fiscal sustainability, increasing the country’s financing needs and reducing the probability of the country starting a fiscal adjustment. Given these pervasive effects of spending rigidity, the report concludes by discussing several policies to contain the sources of rigidity in the long term, ranging from the importance of deepening the pension reform process to the need of establishing strong fiscal institutions promoting medium-term fiscal planning.

Fiscal Policy Challenges for Latin America During the Next Stages of the Pandemic: The Need for a Fiscal Pact

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1513574337
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (135 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal Policy Challenges for Latin America During the Next Stages of the Pandemic: The Need for a Fiscal Pact by : International Monetary Fund

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.

Fiscal Rules and Economic Size in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 146481581X
Total Pages : 198 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (648 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal Rules and Economic Size in Latin America and the Caribbean by : Fernando Blanco

Download or read book Fiscal Rules and Economic Size in Latin America and the Caribbean written by Fernando Blanco and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-10-10 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the collapse of commodity prices in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in 2014-15, many countries in the region were unable to cushion the impact of the shock in order to experience a more gradual adjustment, to a large extent because they had not built adequate fiscal buffers during the commodities’ windfall from 2010-14. Many LAC countries entered 2020 and the COVID-19 crisis in an even more difficult position, with rising debt and limited fiscal space to smooth the negative impacts of the pandemic and adequately support their economies. Fiscal policy in most LAC countries has been procyclical. Public expenditure and debt levels have expanded in good times and contracted in severe downswings due to insufficient fiscal buffers, making crises deeper. Fiscal rules represent a promising policy option for these and other economies. If well-designed and implemented, they can help build buffers during periods of strong economic performance that will be available during rainy days to smooth economic shocks. This book—which was prepared before the COVID-19 crisis—reviews the performance and implementation of different fiscal rules in the region and world. It provides analytical and practical criteria for policy makers for the design, establishment, and feasible implementation of fiscal rules based on each country's business cycle features, external characteristics, type of shocks faced, initial fiscal conditions, technical and institutional capacities, and political context. While establishing new fiscal rules would not help to attenuate the immediate effects of this pandemic crisis, higher debt levels in the aftermath of COVID-19 will demand rebuilding better and stronger institutional frameworks of fiscal policy in LAC and emerging economies globally. Having stronger fiscal mechanisms that include fiscal rules can help countries prepare for the next crisis and should be on the front burner for policy makers in coming years. The findings and lessons discussed apply to economies of different sizes, with some differences under certain scenarios in terms of the technical design and criteria needed for implementation. In this book, policy makers will find that fiscal rules, if tailored to country characteristics, can work and be an essential fiscal tool for larger and particularly smaller economies.

Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 54 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (115 download)

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Book Synopsis Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean by : Santiago Herrera

Download or read book Budget Rigidity in Latin America and the Caribbean written by Santiago Herrera and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Policy makers in Latin America and the Caribbean often complain that poor fiscal performance in their countries is a result of a high degree of spending rigidity. Despite being a common complaint, the issue has remained largely ignored by the literature because of the lack of adequate measures of rigidity that allow cross-country and time series comparability. This report helps close this gap by introducing a new measure of spending rigidities that can be easily applied to multiple countries. It focuses on the categories of spending that are naturally inflexible-- wages, pensions, transfers to subnational governments, and debt service-- and separates them into two components: structural and nonstructural. The structural component is determined by economic, demographic, and institutional fundamentals. The nonstructural component is determined by short-run transitory factors associated with business and political cycles. The degree of rigidity of spending is then proxied by the ratio of structural spending to total spending, with a higher value indicating that spending is driven mostly by factors out of the policy makers' control. This concept of rigidity was applied to 120 countries and produced several interesting results: • Advanced economies and developing countries in other regions have higher levels of rigidity than countries in LAC. • The sources of rigidity vary by country. • Higher rigidity is associated with higher spending levels, higher tax rates, higher public debt, and lower efficiency of public spending. • Rigidity has pervasive effects on fiscal sustainability, increasing the country's financing needs and reducing the probability of the country starting a fiscal adjustment. Given these pervasive effects of spending rigidity, the report concludes by discussing several policies to contain the sources of rigidity in the long term, ranging from the importance of deepening the pension reform process to the need of establishing strong fiscal institutions promoting medium-term fiscal planning.

Fiscal Policy in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781484337660
Total Pages : 37 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (376 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal Policy in Latin America by : Oya Celasun

Download or read book Fiscal Policy in Latin America written by Oya Celasun and published by . This book was released on 2015 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?

A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017

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Author :
Publisher : U of Minnesota Press
ISBN 13 : 1452965846
Total Pages : 643 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (529 download)

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Book Synopsis A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 by : Timothy J. Kehoe

Download or read book A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 written by Timothy J. Kehoe and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 643 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major, new, and comprehensive look at six decades of macroeconomic policies across the region What went wrong with the economic development of Latin America over the past half-century? Along with periods of poor economic performance, the region’s countries have been plagued by a wide variety of economic crises. This major new work brings together dozens of leading economists to explore the economic performance of the ten largest countries in South America and of Mexico. Together they advance the fundamental hypothesis that, despite different manifestations, these crises all have been the result of poorly designed or poorly implemented fiscal and monetary policies. Each country is treated in its own section of the book, with a lead chapter presenting a comprehensive database of the country’s fiscal, monetary, and economic data from 1960 to 2017. The chapters are drawn from one-day academic conferences—hosted in all but one case, in the focus country—with participants including noted economists and former leading policy makers. Cowritten with Nobel Prize winner Thomas J. Sargent, the editors’ introduction provides a conceptual framework for analyzing fiscal and monetary policy in countries around the world, particularly those less developed. A final chapter draws conclusions and suggests directions for further research. A vital resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics and for economic researchers and policy makers, A Monetary and Fiscal History of Latin America, 1960–2017 goes further than any book in stressing both the singularities and the similarities of the economic histories of Latin America’s largest countries. Contributors: Mark Aguiar, Princeton U; Fernando Alvarez, U of Chicago; Manuel Amador, U of Minnesota; Joao Ayres, Inter-American Development Bank; Saki Bigio, UCLA; Luigi Bocola, Stanford U; Francisco J. Buera, Washington U, St. Louis; Guillermo Calvo, Columbia U; Rodrigo Caputo, U of Santiago; Roberto Chang, Rutgers U; Carlos Javier Charotti, Central Bank of Paraguay; Simón Cueva, TNK Economics; Julián P. Díaz, Loyola U Chicago; Sebastian Edwards, UCLA; Carlos Esquivel, Rutgers U; Eduardo Fernández Arias, Peking U; Carlos Fernández Valdovinos (former Central Bank of Paraguay); Arturo José Galindo, Banco de la República, Colombia; Márcio Garcia, PUC-Rio; Felipe González Soley, U of Southampton; Diogo Guillen, PUC-Rio; Lars Peter Hansen, U of Chicago; Patrick Kehoe, Stanford U; Carlos Gustavo Machicado Salas, Bolivian Catholic U; Joaquín Marandino, U Torcuato Di Tella; Alberto Martin, U Pompeu Fabra; Cesar Martinelli, George Mason U; Felipe Meza, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México; Pablo Andrés Neumeyer, U Torcuato Di Tella; Gabriel Oddone, U de la República; Daniel Osorio, Banco de la República; José Peres Cajías, U of Barcelona; David Perez-Reyna, U de los Andes; Fabrizio Perri, Minneapolis Fed; Andrew Powell, Inter-American Development Bank; Diego Restuccia, U of Toronto; Diego Saravia, U de los Andes; Thomas J. Sargent, New York U; José A. Scheinkman, Columbia U; Teresa Ter-Minassian (formerly IMF); Marco Vega, Pontificia U Católica del Perú; Carlos Végh, Johns Hopkins U; François R. Velde, Chicago Fed; Alejandro Werner, IMF.

Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1498328164
Total Pages : 270 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (983 download)

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Book Synopsis Latin America by : Ms.Dora M. Iakova

Download or read book Latin America written by Ms.Dora M. Iakova and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-12-23 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past fifteen years countries in Latin America made tremendous progress in strengthening their economies and improving living standards. Although output fell temporarily during the global financial crisis, most economies staged a rapid recovery. However, economic activity across the region has been cooling off and the region is facing a more challenging period ahead. This book argues that Latin America can rise to the challenge, and policymakers in the region are already implementing reforms in education, energy, and other sectors. More is needed, and more is possible, in Latin America’s quest to continue to improve living standards.

Fiscal Policy and Economic Reconstruction in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1451950640
Total Pages : 38 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (519 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal Policy and Economic Reconstruction in Latin America by : International Monetary Fund

Download or read book Fiscal Policy and Economic Reconstruction in Latin America written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1989-11-02 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper surveys the fiscal landscape of Latin America. It analyzes external and domestic factors that over the years led to the deterioration of the fiscal accounts. It also discusses difficulties that are encountered in pursuing a sound fiscal policy under inflationary conditions. Issues such as the connection between external debt and fiscal policy and the role of public investment are also discussed. General guidelines are provided for a fiscal policy for the economic reconstruction of Latin America.

Public Expenditure in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (318 download)

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Book Synopsis Public Expenditure in Latin America by : Benedict J. Clements

Download or read book Public Expenditure in Latin America written by Benedict J. Clements and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2007-02 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines trends in government spending in Latin America from the mid-1990s to 2006. It also examines key policy issues, including the cyclicality of spending, public investment, public employment, and social expenditures. It finds that primary expenditures have trended upward for the past ten years as a share of GDP, driven by increases in current spending, in particular for social expenditures. Fluctuations in real spending have continued to follow a procyclical pattern. The paper finds that there is substantial scope to improve the efficiency of public investment, public employment, and social spending.

Fiscal policy for economic growth in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 462 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis Fiscal policy for economic growth in Latin America by : Joint Tax Program of the Organization of American States

Download or read book Fiscal policy for economic growth in Latin America written by Joint Tax Program of the Organization of American States and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Understanding Fiscal Space

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Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1451975635
Total Pages : 19 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (519 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Fiscal Space by : Mr.Peter S. Heller

Download or read book Understanding Fiscal Space written by Mr.Peter S. Heller and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2005-03-01 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With new initiatives to provide low income countries with external assistance in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), donors and NGOs are seeking to understand whether "fiscal space" can be provided in the context of IMF-supported programs to support these initiatives. This paper defines the concept of fiscal space and its link to fiscal sustainability, describes alternative ways in which fiscal space can be created, and notes how the IMF can support appropriate efforts to create fiscal space. The paper underscores that the issues that arise in creating fiscal space are not novel, but have always confronted governments in judging whether there is scope for additional expenditure.

Commodity Cycles, Inequality, and Poverty in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
ISBN 13 : 1484326091
Total Pages : 123 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (843 download)

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Book Synopsis Commodity Cycles, Inequality, and Poverty in Latin America by : Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan

Download or read book Commodity Cycles, Inequality, and Poverty in Latin America written by Mr. Ravi Balakrishnan and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-04-26 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past decades, inequality has risen not just in advanced economies but also in many emerging market and developing economies, becoming one of the key global policy challenges. And throughout the 20th century, Latin America was associated with some of the world’s highest levels of inequality. Yet something interesting happened in the first decade and a half of the 21st century. Latin America was the only region in the World to have experienced significant declines in inequality in that period. Poverty also fell in Latin America, although this was replicated in other regions, and Latin America started from a relatively low base. Starting around 2014, however, and even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, poverty and inequality gains had already slowed in Latin America and, in some cases, gone into reverse. And the COVID-19 shock, which is still playing out, is likely to dramatically worsen short-term poverty and inequality dynamics. Against this background, this departmental paper investigates the link between commodity prices, and poverty and inequality developments in Latin America.

Decentralizing Revenue in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : Inter-American Development Bank
ISBN 13 : 1597822124
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (978 download)

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Book Synopsis Decentralizing Revenue in Latin America by : Vicente Fretes Cibils

Download or read book Decentralizing Revenue in Latin America written by Vicente Fretes Cibils and published by Inter-American Development Bank. This book was released on 2015-04-13 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes the reasons for lackluster performance selected Latin American countries in mobilizing subnational own-source revenues and explores policy options to increase these revenues as efficiently and equitably as possible. Seven case studies--Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela--span a wide range of characteristics, including federal and unitary countries, different geographical sizes, levels of economic development, and degrees of revenue decentralization. In this book, subnational governments include both intermediate and local levels of government, which are distinguished in the case studies. Together, the case studies provide a reasonably representative picture of the challenges faced throughout Latin America in mobilizing subnational own-source revenues in a manner that supports equitable growth.

The State of State Reforms in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 0821365762
Total Pages : 474 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (213 download)

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Book Synopsis The State of State Reforms in Latin America by : Eduardo Lora

Download or read book The State of State Reforms in Latin America written by Eduardo Lora and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2006-10-23 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Latin America suffered a profound state crisis in the 1980s, which prompted not only the wave of macroeconomic and deregulation reforms known as the Washington Consensus, but also a wide variety of institutional or 'second generation' reforms. 'The State of State Reform in Latin America' reviews and assesses the outcomes of these less studied institutional reforms. This book examines four major areas of institutional reform: a. political institutions and the state organization; b. fiscal institutions, such as budget, tax and decentralization institutions; c. public institutions in charge of sectoral economic policies (financial, industrial, and infrastructure); and d. social sector institutions (pensions, social protection, and education). In each of these areas, the authors summarize the reform objectives, describe and measure their scope, assess the main outcomes, and identify the obstacles for implementation, especially those of an institutional nature.

Privatization in Latin America

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Author :
Publisher : World Bank Publications
ISBN 13 : 0821383507
Total Pages : 526 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (213 download)

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Book Synopsis Privatization in Latin America by : Alberto Chong

Download or read book Privatization in Latin America written by Alberto Chong and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2005-03-15 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Privatization is under attack. Beginning in the 1980s, thousands of failing state-owned enterprises worldwide have been turned over to the private sector. But public opinion has turned against privatization. A large political backlash has been brewing for some time, infused by accusations of corruption, abuse of market power, and neglect of the poor. What is the real record of privatization and are the criticisms justified? 'Privatization in Latin America' evaluates the empirical evidence on privatization in a region that has witnessed an extensive decline in the state's share of production over the past 20 years. The book is a compilation of recent studies that provide a comprehensive analysis of the record of and accusations against privatization, with important recommendations for the future. Seven countries are investigated: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. This book will be vital to anyone interested in the privatization debate but especially to those involved in civil service reform, corporate governance, economic policy, finance, and anticorruption efforts. 'Privatization is important but controversial. While economists typically favor it, others are skeptical. This book provides strong scientific evidence that privatization has been beneficial for many Latin American countries, although some privatizations failed and some groups in society lost out. As usual, the devil is in the details: how privatization is carried out and what reforms accompany it are crucial to its success. The book is definitely an invaluable contribution to the privatization debate.' --Oliver Hart, Andrew E. Furer Professor of Economics, Harvard University