This paper reviews the challenges and experiences in rebuilding fiscal institutions in postconflict environments, based on advice from the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department to selected countries. The recommended strategy involved a three-step process of (i) creating a proper legal framework for...

Summary Using panel data from 118 developing countries in 1971-2000, this paper explores the channels linking social spending, human capital, and growth and compares the effects of alternative economic policy interventions. With separate modeling for education and health capital, explicit...

This paper assesses changes in the size and scope of government in 24 transition economies. While these governments have reduced public expenditures in relation to GDP, and public employment as a share of population, some indicators suggest that the size remains high (eg, rising indebtedness, a...

Seasonal labour migration is an increasingly important aspect of rural livelihoods in tribal areas of Western India. Such migration can no longer be viewed merely as an adjunct to an essentially agrarian way of life, but has to be seen as integral to the coping, survival and livelihood...

This paper highlights the economic challenges that would be associated with a successful effort by industrial countries to meet the goal of devoting 0.7 percent of their GNP to official development assistance (ODA) to help poor countries. To help achieve the Millennium Development Goals,...