Fiscal decentralization is likely to entail a bias in the budget process toward higher public expenses and deficits. The paper reviews lessons drawn from the theoretical literature and international experience on the design of intergovernmental relations. The institutional setup should address...

Rethinking fiscal and monetary policy in an economic environment of high debt and low interest rates. Policy makers in advanced economies find themselves in an unusual fiscal environment: debt ratios are historically high, and—once the fight against inflation is won—real interest rates will...

Fiscal problems have long been considered a central feature of financial--that is, currency, debt, and banking--crises. This paper addresses four questions: What are the fiscal causes of crises? Which fiscal vulnerability indicators help to predict crises? Can fiscal variables explain the...

This report examines the Observance of Standards and Codes on Fiscal Transparency for Spain. The assessment reveals that over the last several years, Spain has made major progress not only in macroeconomic and fiscal adjustment, but also in modernizing and strengthening its fiscal institutions...

This paper reviews Indonesia’s 2004 Article IV Consultation and Post-Program Monitoring Discussions. The Article IV consultation provided a timely opportunity to assess achievements under recent IMF arrangements and to take stock of remaining challenges. The discussions focused on...

This paper presents Indonesia’s 2005 Article IV Consultation and Third Post-Program Monitoring discussions. The economic strategy has produced positive results over time. Economic growth has gained momentum year by year, inflation has been substantially reduced, and the external position...