This report is the result of a rapid assessment of the first phase of the direct cash transfer program that is one part of the fuel subsidy reduction compensation program that is provided to poor households. The early observation and assessment of the administration of this program was needed in...

This paper operationalizes Dahlby's (1998) theoretical analysis on the social marginal cost of public funds (SMCF) with microdata on Japanese prime-age males. Our exercise, however, is more than an application. First, we derive the formula for the SMCF that differentiates every individual....

Population growth rate matters for determining the optimal amount of capital in the context of dynamic inefficiency. From the aspect of social security, if there are pension schemes, individuals have no motive for having a child as income source for retirement periods. Thus, it is important to...

The current account surplus of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has drawn much foreign and domestic attention. This paper focuses on the reasons and remedies for the PRC’s current account surpluses. Rather than deploying the standard explanations, we argue that asymmetric...

The current account surplus of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has drawn much foreign and domestic attention. This paper focuses on the reasons and remedies for the PRC’s current account surpluses. Rather than deploying the standard explanations, we argue that asymmetric...

The current global economic crisis has led to greater prominence for the issue of strengthening social protection systems in Asia. This paper analyzes the key factors determining and the possible avenues for strengthening social protection systems in Asia. The choice of an appropriate...

An examination of the public pension and social security schemes in Pakistan reveals that the provision of regular pensions is limited to formal sector employees only. A number of social security schemes that are operational in the public and private sectors cover a small proportion of old-age...

With a declining birthrate and an aging population, Japan is increasingly finding itself in deeper financial difficulties. Recognizing these conditions, the government is now examining a framework for maintaining fiscal sustainability, mainly at the Council of Economic and Fiscal Policy. The...

This paper reviews the development of the social security system and trends in the urban labor market in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Despite its remarkable economic achievement, the PRC faces a difficult path before it can reform and improve its social security system and provide basic...

The paper examines the impact of recent inflation and financial shocks on the vulnerable, and explores policy design to reduce both future shocks and vulnerability to shocks. Inflation affects the typical savings cum pension portfolio and the specific consumption basket of the old, as prices of...