Italy: Quantifying the Benefits of a Comprehensive Reform Package

Italy: Quantifying the Benefits of a Comprehensive Reform Package PDF Author: Michal Andrle
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484347617
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
This paper seeks to quantify the net benefits of a comprehensive reform package aimed at addressing Italy’s inter-related challenges. Specifically, it simulates the growth and competitiveness effects of a package of fiscal, financial, wage bargaining, and other structural reforms. Credible implementation of such a package yields substantial mediumterm dividends at negligible near-term growth costs. Real GDP growth is estimated to be substantially higher over the medium term, while the real effective exchange rate depreciates notably.

Italy: Quantifying the Benefits of a Comprehensive Reform Package

Italy: Quantifying the Benefits of a Comprehensive Reform Package PDF Author: Michal Andrle
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484347617
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
This paper seeks to quantify the net benefits of a comprehensive reform package aimed at addressing Italy’s inter-related challenges. Specifically, it simulates the growth and competitiveness effects of a package of fiscal, financial, wage bargaining, and other structural reforms. Credible implementation of such a package yields substantial mediumterm dividends at negligible near-term growth costs. Real GDP growth is estimated to be substantially higher over the medium term, while the real effective exchange rate depreciates notably.

Identifying Service Market Reform Priorities in Italy

Identifying Service Market Reform Priorities in Italy PDF Author: Nazim Belhocine
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513529994
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 35

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Book Description
Italy’s labor productivity in market services has declined since 2000, underperforming manufacturing and peer European countries, especially in strongly regulated sectors. A model of monopolistic competition is used to identify which service sectors would benefit more from removing entry and/or exit barriers. Using Italian firm-level data, the paper finds that sectors with high markups, such as professional services, would primarily benefit from removing entry barriers. Sectors with a large mass of unproductive firms, such as retail, would instead benefit from removing exit barriers. Policy recommendations to improve efficiency are outlined in relation to the sectoral priorities identified in the data.

Competitiveness and Wage Bargaining Reform in Italy

Competitiveness and Wage Bargaining Reform in Italy PDF Author: Mr.Alvar Kangur
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484347625
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
The growth of Italian exports has lagged that of euro area peers. Against the backdrop of unit labor costs that have risen faster than those in euro area peers, this paper examines whether there is a competitiveness challenge in Italy and evaluates the framework of wage bargaining. Wages are set at the sectoral level and extended nationally. However, they do not respond well to firm-specific productivity, regional disparities, or skill mismatches. Nominally rigid wages have also implied adjustment through lower profits and employment. Wage developments explain about 45 percent of the manufacturing unit labor cost gap with Germany. In a search-and-match DSGE model of the Italian labor market, this paper finds substantial gains from moving from sectoral- to firm-level wage setting of at least 3.5 percentage points lower unemployment (or higher employment) rate and a notable improvement in Italy’s competitiveness over the medium term.

Italy

Italy PDF Author: International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484397789
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 19

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Book Description
This Selected Issues paper uses the tax-benefit microsimulation model for the European Union (EUROMOD) to evaluate possible reforms to modernize Italy’s social safety net as well as ways to lower the tax wedge on labor. With a social safety net centered on pensions and the elderly and an array of income support schemes as well as a heavy tax burden falling on labor income, there is significant scope to improve Italy’s system of taxes and transfers to promote growth and inclusion. The paper also simulates the cost of a modern safety net using EUROMOD. The paper also provides an overview of Italy’s personal income tax regime, simulates the cost of moving toward a flatter regime that has previously been proposed by the government coalition and discusses some key reform principles. It is concluded that Italy needs a modern social safety net and a lower tax wedge on labor as part of a growth-friendly and inclusive fiscal consolidation package.

Labor Costs and Corporate Investment in Italy

Labor Costs and Corporate Investment in Italy PDF Author: Daniel Garcia-Macia
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513529722
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Book Description
The recovery of private investment in Italy has lagged its euro area peers over the past decade. This paper examines the role of elevated labor costs in hindering the recovery. Specifically, labor costs rose faster than labor productivity prior to the global financial crisis and have remained high since, weighing on firms’ profits, capital returns, and thus capacity to invest. Empirical analysis provides evidence for the impact of wages on investment at the sectoral and firm levels. Sectoral wage growth seems unrelated to sectoral productivity growth, but is negatively associated with investment. Firm-level data permit a better identification—by exploiting the interaction between sectoral wage growth (exogenous to the firm) and the lagged labor share of the firm. A 1 percent increase in real wages is estimated to cause a 1/3 percent fall in fixed capital. Profits absorb only 1⁄2 of the cost increase, pointing to the role of liquidity constraints. These results highlight the need for labor market reform to reinvigorate investment, and thus labor productivity and job creation.

A Strategy for IMF Engagement on Social Spending

A Strategy for IMF Engagement on Social Spending PDF Author: International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1498318924
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
This paper uses case studies to explore the nature and extent of past IMF engagement on social spending issues and to draw lessons for future engagement.

Macroeconomic Effects of Japan’s Demographics: Can Structural Reforms Reverse Them?

Macroeconomic Effects of Japan’s Demographics: Can Structural Reforms Reverse Them? PDF Author: Mariana Colacelli
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484384733
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
Yes, partly. This paper studies the potential role of structural reforms in improving Japan’s outlook using the IMF’s Global Integrated Monetary and Fiscal Model (GIMF) with newly-added demographic features. Implementation of a not-fully-believed path of structural reforms can significantly offset the adverse effect of Japan’s demographic headwinds — a declining and ageing population — on real GDP (by about 15 percent in the next 40 years), but would not boost inflation or contribute substantially to stabilizing public debt. Alternatively, implementation of a fully-credible structural reform program can contribute significantly to stabilizing public debt because of the resulting increase in inflation towards the Bank of Japan’s target, while achieving the same positive long-run effects on real GDP. If no reforms are implemented, severe demographic headwinds are expected to reduce Japan’s real GDP by over 25 percent in the next 40 years.

The Economics of Public Health Care Reform in Advanced and Emerging Economies

The Economics of Public Health Care Reform in Advanced and Emerging Economies PDF Author: Mr.David Coady
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1475583788
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 381

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Book Description
Using cross-country analysis and case studies, this book provides new insights and potential policy responses for the key fiscal policy challenges that both advanced and emerging economies will be facing.

Health Care Reform in Greece: Progress and Reform Priorities

Health Care Reform in Greece: Progress and Reform Priorities PDF Author: Niki Kalavrezou
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1513588834
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 39

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Book Description
We review Greek public sector healthcare policies and health-related outcomes since 2010.We find that excess spending was successfully curtailed, elements of the institutional framework were modernized, and health outcomes have been relatively favorable. However, especially prior to Covid-19, public healthcare spending had been compressed to potentially unsustainable levels, with widening inequalities and large unmet needs, especially among the poor. Higher public spending and advancing structural healthcare reforms are needed to improve the efficiency and equity of the Greek healthcare system, including strengthening primary healthcare, reducing out-of-pocket payments, and eliminating remaining insurance gaps.

Doing Business 2020

Doing Business 2020 PDF Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464814414
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
Seventeen in a series of annual reports comparing business regulation in 190 economies, Doing Business 2020 measures aspects of regulation affecting 10 areas of everyday business activity.