Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America The Cases of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico

Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America The Cases of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264022082
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume discusses progress made to date in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico in putting their finances in order, and points out the challenges ahead.

Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America The Cases of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico

Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America The Cases of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico PDF Author: OECD
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN: 9264022082
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 167

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume discusses progress made to date in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico in putting their finances in order, and points out the challenges ahead.

Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America

Challenges to Fiscal Adjustment in Latin America PDF Author: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Publisher: OECD
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Get Book Here

Book Description
Despite considerable progress made by Latin America’s biggest economies in putting their finances in order, numerous challenges remain. Public spending needs to incorporate more flexibility, ageing populations and social demands threaten future pressures on expenditure, and social and infrastructure spending need to be more cost-effective. At the same time, tax bases need to broaden to reduce reliance on distortionary taxes on financial transactions and enterprise turnover, and overall tax administration must be improved. Finally and foremost, the fiscal authorities need to keep public debt at sustainable levels, paving the way for faster, more resilient growth. This volume discusses progress made to date in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico, and points out the road ahead. It provides an overview of trends and highlights the diversity of fiscal adjustment processes in Latin American countries. It also describes the financial market perspective and role of sovereign debt ratings. The chapter on Argentina debunks the view that fiscal management in the 1990s was irresponsible, arguing instead that the financial crisis was caused by a confluence of costly pension reforms, Brady debt restructuring and the recognition of fiscal “skeletons” in the closet. The chapter on Brazil makes a case for a more entrenched culture of fiscal austerity to make the current achievements sustainable. The Chile chapter describes the role of political cohesiveness following the return of democracy in driving the economy to fiscal rectitude. Finally, the chapter on Mexico discusses different scenarios for debt dynamics and the country’s efforts to contain expenditure pressures.

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

Fiscal Policy Challenges for Latin America During the Next Stages of the Pandemic: The Need for a Fiscal Pact PDF Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513574337
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Decentralisation and Reform in Latin America

Decentralisation and Reform in Latin America PDF Author: Giorgio Brosio
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1781006261
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 465

Get Book Here

Book Description
ÔThis volume provides a splendid and wide-ranging collection of studies analyzing the political-economy of decentralization in Latin-America. ItÕs a fascinating story with numerous and profound insights into how fiscal decentralization actually works in the context of a variety of fiscal institutions and in a setting with a high degree of inequality in the distribution of income and territorial disparities.Õ Ð Wallace E. Oates, University of Maryland, US ÔThe volume on Decentralization and Reform in Latin America is an important addition to the growing literature on decentralization. Some of the issues in the implementation and effectiveness of decentralization are similar all over the world, but there are issues of particular salience to Latin America, a region where decentralization reforms have come sometimes in the wake of major political reforms. This volume pays special attention to the complexity of issues (both relating to equity and efficiency) arising in the context of vertical fiscal imbalance and inter-governmental transfers, in the delivery of social services or investment spending, in the sharing of rent from natural resources among social and regional groups and in macro-fiscal stabilization. I expect the volume to receive widespread attention.Õ Ð Pranab Bhardan, University of California, Berkeley, US ÔWhen it comes to fiscal decentralization in developing countries, Latin America has long led the way. In the two decades prior to the mid-1990s, some countries in the region extensively decentralized expenditures, especially social expenditures, and to a much lesser extent revenues to subnational governments. Some excesses and distortions resulted from these initial efforts and over the next decade major attempts were made to offset such problems, primarily by changing fiscal rules and transfer systems. The recent boom in natural resource revenues has again exacerbated pressure on the intergovernmental fiscal system in many countries, leading to further attempts to adjust the flow of finance between governments in order to maintain macroeconomic balance while achieving both more effective service delivery and greater social cohesion. This book, which provides both description and analysis of the rich Latin American experience, should be required reading not only for all those interested in the region but for scholars and policy-makers anywhere who are concerned with the complex and many-faceted issues associated with decentralization.Õ Ð Richard M. Bird, University of Toronto, Canada ÔGiorgio Brosio and Juan Pablo JimŽnez have made a remarkable job in preparing the best comprehensive treatment of comparative decentralization experiences in Latin America. The volume reviews all aspects of the decentralization process: its constitutional roots and its contribution to social cohesion; the provision of social services and infrastructure; taxation, sharing in natural resource revenues and the design of the intergovernmental transfers; and its macro-financial implications and associated fiscal rules. It will be essential reading for analysts of fiscal and local government issues in the region and a very useful tool for Latin Americanists in general.Õ Ð JosŽ Antonio Ocampo, Professor, Columbia University. Former Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Finance Minister of Colombia Decentralisation and Reform in Latin America analyses the process of intergovernmental reform in Latin America in the last two decades and presents a number of emerging issues. These include the impacts of decentralization and the response of countries in the region to challenge such as social cohesion, interregional and interpersonal disparities, the assignment of social and infrastructure expenditure, macrofinancial shocks, fiscal rules and the sharing of natural resources revenue. The main aim of the book is to assess the effective working of decentralized arrangements and institutions, with a view of suggesting corrections and reforms where the system is not working according to expectations. Policymakers, researchers and academics with an interest in subjects related to public policy, fiscal rules, intergovernmental relations, governance and decentralization will find this book invaluable.

Crisis and Reform in Latin America

Crisis and Reform in Latin America PDF Author: Sebastian Edwards
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780195211054
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 380

Get Book Here

Book Description
This work provides a thorough analytical review of the processes that led to the transformation of many Latin American economies during the last decade. The author examines every aspect of adjustment and reform since 1980 and suggests alternative ways to consolidate the achievements.

Fiscal Redistribution and Income Inequality in Latin America

Fiscal Redistribution and Income Inequality in Latin America PDF Author: Edwin Goni
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Debt Markets
Languages : en
Pages : 31

Get Book Here

Book Description
Abstract: Income inequality in Latin America ranks among the highest in the world. It can be traced back to the unequal distribution of assets (especially land and education) in the region. But the extent to which asset inequality translates into income inequality depends on the redistributive capacity of the state. This paper documents the performance of Latin American fiscal systems from the perspective of income redistribution using newly-available information on the incidence of taxes and transfers across the region. The findings indicate that: (i) the differences in income inequality before taxes and transfers between Latin America and Western Europe are much more modest than those after taxes and transfers; (ii) the key reason is that, in contrast with industrial countries, in most Latin American countries the fiscal system is of little help in reducing income inequality; and (iii) in countries where fiscal redistribution is significant, it is achieved mostly through transfers rather than taxes. These facts stress the need for fiscal reforms across the region to further the goal of social equity. However, different countries need to place different relative emphasis on raising tax collection, restructuring the tax system, and improving the targeting of expenditures.

Latin American Adjustment

Latin American Adjustment PDF Author: John Williamson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 478

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume examines the record of Latin American adjustment efforts and assesses the challenges that lie ahead. It examines the Washington consensus on how ten major policy instruments - including fiscal deficits, tax reform, exchange rates, and deregulation - should be used to address Latin America's current problems. Ten country studies and accompanying commentaries assess public attitudes in each country toward these reforms, the progress made since 1982 in implementing them, and the impact of policy changes on economic performance.

The Puzzle of Latin American Economic Development

The Puzzle of Latin American Economic Development PDF Author: Patrice M. Franko
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 570

Get Book Here

Book Description
This textbook offers basic economic tools for students to understand the problems facing the countries of Latin America. After a brief historical overview, Patrice Franko builds a contemporary model of regional development. She explores the contradictions of growth, especially in the context of overcoming intractable problems of poverty, education, health and discrimination. Inviting students to view challenges through the eyes of policy-makers, the text encourages a critical assessment of past and present policy choices. Data exercises promote research skills and highlight the diversity of development experiences in the region. Liberally interspersed with examples and case studies, the author combines theory and its application in the real world.

Fiscal Policy and Economic Reconstruction in Latin America

Fiscal Policy and Economic Reconstruction in Latin America PDF Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451950640
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

Get Book Here

Book Description
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.

Coping with Austerity

Coping with Austerity PDF Author: Nora Claudia Lustig
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 9780815708025
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 492

Get Book Here

Book Description
Concern about the pervasiveness of poverty and income inequality in Latin America goes beyond the issue of social justice. The persistence of mass poverty and inequality pits different social groups against one another and leads to a polarization that makes consistent economic policy formation difficult. National productivity may also suffer in economies with poorly educated workforces lacking adequate health care. Statistics on poverty and inequality in Latin America are rudimentary and often conflicting. Yet it is known that poverty became more widespread in the region during the last decade as it experienced economic decline. About 180 million people, or two out of every five in the area, are now living in poverty—some 50 million more than in 1980. It is also known that income and wealth are far more unequally distributed in Latin America than in most other developing regions. This book provides a much-needed assessment of how poverty, inequality, and social indicators have fared in several Latin American countries over the past decade. Experts from Latin America and the U.S. focus attention on the extent of poverty and inequality and how they have been affected by the debt crisis and adjustment of the 1980s. They explain that issues of poverty and inequality were neglected as governments in Latin America struggled to restore stability and growth to their economies. Social sector spending declined sharply, affecting both the quality and quantity of services provided. The contributors examine how poverty and inequality are—or are not—being addressed in each country. They also explore the viability of alternative approaches to combating poverty and reducing inequality. They explain that virtually no one denies that governments must take a leading role in the provision of health, education, and other social services. Yet there are sharp debates--over the compatibility of social spending with economic adjustment and stabilization; the priority of social expenditures in relation to other governmental spending; the allocation of funds among different social programs; who should, and should not, benefit; and who should pay the costs. They show that the poor and middle sectors had to pay dearly because their governments, the international community, and the families themselves were not prepared to deal with austerity. The book contains eleven chapters by contributors from universities and research institutions in the U.S. and Latin America, as well as from international financial organizations. It is the result of a project cosponsored by Inter-American Dialogue.