The demographic transition in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) now underway is rapid compared with international experience, and emigration is playing a particularly large role. This paper describes and quantifies several factors which could magnify the challenge of pension reform....

The rapid aging of China's population over the next few decades makes it important for a new pension system with broad and adequate coverage to be put in place quickly. Pension reforms, first initiated in 1997, have become bogged down in difficulties over dealing with the "legacy costs"...

The main objective of this paper is to go deeper into the “annuity puzzle” by introducing the altruistic and strategic bequest motive and determining whether this really is a relevant factor affecting the theoretical decision to purchase life annuities. With this end in view we develop an...

In this work, we made a presentation regarding to the Israeli pension system which was deeply reformed by passing it from a system based on Defined Benefits with huge actuarial deficits to a system based on Defined Contribution actuarial balanced. One of the major by products of this reform is...

How to entrench hard-won gains, increase resilience to shocks, and improve growth performance to reduce poverty? As Central America moves forward in regaining macroeconomic stability, these are the challenges. This study analyzes Central America’s real, fiscal, monetary, and financial...

This technical note examines investment opportunities for pension funds in Kazakhstan. It puts forward policy alternatives that could lead to improved management of pension fund assets in Kazakhstan. The note emphasizes prudence in the management of pension assets, given the social and fiscal...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation for San Marino reports that the economy has slowed considerably since 2000 with the fading of key competitive advantages that had contributed to past rapid development. To restore a positive net asset position and the ability to buffer adverse external shocks,...

The economic restructuring and expansion after the crisis reflected a combination of private sector initiative, solid macroeconomic management, including the shift from large deficits to significant surpluses of the general government, and structural reforms. High unemployment is one indication...