The current mechanism of fiscal equalization in the Russian Federation is complex, unstable and not transparent. In addition, it does not appear to be accomplishing its main goal: the equalization of funds among regions. While major reforms were introduced in 1994, serious problems remain in...

Although the presence of objective formula-based grants is an important component of a stable, equitable and efficient system of intergovernmental fiscal relations, the final incidence of grants is not always according to what is stated in the formula because there are other intervening...

Indonesia is currently in the process of evaluating and revising the decentralization legislation and the progress made during the first stage of its “big bang” decentralization reforms. This first wave of decentralization reform was implemented without major interruptions in service...

Many countries around the world are currently engaged in one way or another in policy debates or reforms of their system of intergovernmental fiscal relations. While the policy dynamics vary greatly from country to country, the focus of such reform efforts can generally be categorized into one...

The design of intergovernmental equalization transfer mechanisms, whether as the result of the introduction of a new transfer scheme or as part of the revision of an existing one, is a key element of local government finance reform around the world. While the basic elements and principles of...

Decentralized countries around the world use different institutional set-ups to assure that the system of local government finances achieves the objectives sought by the public sector through the decentralized delivery of public services. In many centralized countries, the Ministry of Local...

Intergovernmental fiscal relations may be the most contentious issue in the Russian Federation today. This is the result of the complexity of the problems intertwined with intergovernmental relations. These problems include the recent history of disintegration of the Soviet Union; the war in...

Since 1999, Tanzania has been actively pursuing reforms of way in which the central government finances local government activities. Although local government authorities in Tanzania play a significant role in the delivery of key government services, the resources which the central government...

Fiscal decentralization reform, the reform of fiscal relations between different levels of government, is an important fiscal policy issue in many African countries. While for many African nations the decentralized delivery of government goods and services is a relatively new concept, the issue...