Threats to external stability in the pre-crisis period have now been reduced substantially and foreign non-debt creating flows have declined, sufficient to support external stability. The global economic downturn has raised challenges for evaluating the countries’ fiscal stance and fiscal...

Fiscal rules are being increasingly used by both emerging and developed economies. This paper analyzes two alternative fiscal policy rules in terms of their impact on debt sustainability: a rule that fixes the ratio of primary surplus to GDP (""fixed surplus rule"") and one that sets the primary...

This Selected Issues paper for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) reports that GDP per capita in BiH is similar to that in neighboring Balkan countries. BiH risks are falling behind rather than catching up with other transition economies in terms of its economic development. This could delay the...

This Selected Issues paper examines the risks and structural weaknesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper provides an estimate of the current account adjustment required to stabilize net foreign liabilities. It uses the external sustainability approach of the Consultative Group on Exchange...

This paper considers the merits of reducing or eliminating some specific tax expenditure measures currently in force in the United States with a view to reducing the federal fiscal deficit. The paper starts from the observation that savings decisions in the United States are distorted and that...

Much of the recent research of the international economic consequences of budget deficit has been conducted under the assumption that taxes are lump sum. It has thus abstracted from important issues that arise in the context of distortionary tax systems. Our analysis deals with the international...

This Selected Issues paper provides background information for the 1998 Article IV Consultation with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper contains an overview of economic and political developments. It describes the establishment of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, developments in the...

This paper discusses recent empirical research on the interplay between fiscal policies and external imbalances in the G3 countries, focusing on the stock-flow dynamics of public and foreign deficits and debt accumulation

IMF advice on fiscal policy is given within a strong accounting framework. Published sources in the last ten years show the direction and change of advice. The treatment of central bank losses, government arrears, and credit subsidies are discussed as examples. Advice on taxation, expenditure,...