Helvi Kinnunen and Pasi Kuoppamäki examine the sustainability of public finances in Finland and the four main euro area countries. The analytical framework is based on intertemporal budget dynamics. The paper shows that, in spite of the increase in age-related expenditure, the policies implicit...

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that real GDP growth has slowed following the decline in oil prices, the non-oil fiscal position has become tighter, and banks’ financial situation has weakened. The recent approval of an ambitious energy price...

This Selected Issues Paper quantifies the variability of tax elasticities in Lithuania using two alternative methods: rolling regressions and pooled mean group estimator. The analysis is motivated by the systematic variation of tax revenues observed over the economic cycle. Both methods confirm...

Ethiopia’s request for disbursement under the rapid-access component of the Exogenous Shocks Facility is examined. The authorities have embarked upon a tightening of monetary and fiscal policies to facilitate necessary rebuilding of foreign exchange reserves. Wheat has been imported on an...

This paper focuses on two central issues related to the contrasting experiences of Malaysia and Pakistan regarding poverty reduction. First, it examines the structure of economic growth and its proximate determinants in the two countries, including the initial conditions, institutional changes,...

In a number of oil producing countries, oil revenue accounts for the majority of government revenue, but is expected to be depleted in a relatively short time frame. Ensuring that fiscal policy is on a sustainable path is thus a high priority, but political and social adjustment costs create...

Japan is facing a sizable fiscal imbalance against a backdrop of weak trend growth and growing external imbalances in the world economy. This paper examines the possible impact of fiscal adjustment and productivity-enhancing structural reforms on the Japanese and world economies. Simulation...