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Business and Economics > Public Finance

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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Liberia: First Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for a Waiver of Nonobservance of a Performance Criterion-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Liberia continues to face substantial long-term development challenges. Resource constraints and substantial gaps in infrastructure and human capital have hindered Liberia’s growth prospects and the authorities’ efforts to improve living standards. Addressing these challenges will require sustained efforts to mobilize additional revenues, enhance financial stability, improve public financial management, and seek external grants and highly concessional loans for key capital investment projects. Improvements in these areas would help create fiscal space to scale up investment in infrastructure and human capital, thus unleashing the country’s growth potential.
Keywords:
Liberian authorities; budget proposal; governance reform; CBL liquidity management operation; reform agenda; Policy discussion; governance shortcoming; IMF's transparency policy; Budget planning and preparation; Credit; Global; West Africa; Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
Strengthening Tax Governance Through Legal Design
Lydia E Sofrona
,
Christophe J Waerzeggers
, and
Brendan Crowley
Well-functioning tax systems anchor their governance arrangements in law. This paper develops an analytical framework from which the core legal principles for sound tax governance can be derived to inform the design of countries’ legal frameworks for administration and tax procedure. It then applies this analytical framework to derive key legal features that should be embedded in laws for tax administration—including additional considerations for semi-autonomous revenue authorities— and tax procedure, to ensure a balance between tax administration powers and adequate taxpayer protections.
Keywords:
Tax governance; tax law; tax administration; tax procedure; legal design; A. tax Governance; governance arrangement; design consideration; taxpayer relationship; Tax administration core functions; Taxpayer charter; Semi-autonomous revenue bodies
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Urgency of Conflict Prevention – A Macroeconomic Perspective
Hannes Mueller
,
Christopher Rauh
,
Benjamin R Seimon
, and
Raphael A Espinoza
Can macroeconomic policy effectively help prevent armed conflicts? This paper contends that two key criteria need to be satisfied: the long-term benefits of prevention policies must exceed the costs associated with uncertain forecasts, and the policies themselves must be directly able to contribute to conflict prevention. This paper proposes policy simulations, based on a novel method of Mueller et al (2024a) that integrates machine learning and dynamic optimization, to show that investing in prevention can generate huge long-run benefits. Returns to prevention policies in countries that have not suffered recently from violence range from $26 to $75 per $1 spent on prevention, and for countries with recent violence, the rate of return could be as high as $103 per $1 spent on prevention. Furthermore, an analysis of the available data and results in the literature suggest that sound macroeconomic policies and international support for these policies can play key roles in conflict prevention. Based on these findings, this paper proposes actionable recommendations, for both global and domestic policymakers as well as international financial institutions and multilateral organizations, to promote peace and stability through macroeconomic policy.
Keywords:
Prevention; fragile state; conflict; machine learning; policy simulation; Policy recommendation; prevention policy; et al; conflict prevention; conflict stage country; building state capacity; Fiscal stance; Caribbean; Global; Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Liberia: Request for a 40-Month Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This paper presents Liberia’s Request for a 40-Year Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The 40-month financing package will support the authorities’ Economic Reform Agenda to address macroeconomic imbalances, strengthen debt sustainability, and lay the foundations for higher, more inclusive, and private sector-led growth, beyond the enclave sector. The ECF arrangement is expected to catalyze additional external financing from international financial institutions and development partners. Liberia’s economic vulnerability has worsened in recent years. Fiscal slippages have compromised public debt sustainability, contributing to a sharp decline in international reserves. Governance weaknesses have also persisted. The authorities are firmly committed to revitalizing the reform agenda to support macroeconomic stability, promote broad-based economic development, and reduce widespread poverty. Comprehensive structural reforms, including improvements in governance and transparency, are critical for achieving these objectives. Maintaining strong program ownership, supported by capacity development, will be crucial to ensure program success and continued donor support.
Keywords:
central bank bank transaction; increase in capital expenditure; budget projection; approved budget; budget proposal; Debt sustainability analysis; Debt sustainability; Budget planning and preparation; Global; West Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Role of Structural Fiscal Policy on Female Labor Force Participation in OECD Countries
Miyoko Asai
,
Qiaoe Chen
,
Mr. Jiro Honda
,
Xingwei Hu
, and
Qianqian Zhang
This paper examines the role of structural fiscal policies to promote female labor force participation and reduce gender gaps in labor markets in 26 OECD countries from 2000 to 2019. As both female labor force participation and many explanatory/control variables clearly exhibit non-stationarity (potentially leading to spurious regression results), we employ a panel vector error-correction model, in contrast with most previous empirical studies on this matter. Our analyses confirm statistically significant positive impacts of government spending on (1) early childcare and education, (2) active labor market programs, and (3) unemployment benefits, all of which would help encourage women to enter the labor force, while (4) an increase in relative tax rate on second earner could have negative impact on female labor force participation.
Keywords:
Fiscal Policy; Gender; Labor Force; OECD; panel unit root; panel vector error-correction model; robustness test; panel VECM result; female LFPR; age group; regression analysis; positive correlation; standard deviation; Women; Active labor market policies; Gender diversity; Unemployment benefits; Global
Cover The IMF and Capacity Development: Evaluation Report 2022
The IMF and Capacity Development: Evaluation Report 2022
International Monetary Fund. Independent Evaluation Office

Abstract

Capacity development (CD) is a key function of the IMF, aiming to assist its member countries develop their institutional and human capacity to design and implement sound macroeconomic and financial policies. CD has been provided to all IMF member countries at some point, although it is directed mainly toward low- and middle-income countries. CD represents about one-third of the IMF’s administrative budget, having expanded substantially in the past decade. This evaluation assesses how effective the IMF has been in meeting the CD needs and expectations of recipient countries, and the Fund’s institutional objectives for CD, during 2012-20. It also provides an initial review of how IMF CD adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evaluation finds that IMF CD was relevant, valued, and broadly effective. Recipients, donors, and the wider membership saw IMF CD as being of the highest technical quality in the Fund’s core areas of expertise and generally perceived that it had become better tailored to recipient needs and circumstances. Overall, Fund CD has supported member countries in building the institutional capacity, in a very wide range of country circumstances. The IMF has also put substantial effort into integrating CD with surveillance and programs, which has in general enhanced its overall engagement with member countries. While recognizing these achievements, the evaluation also identifies a number of important shortcomings and challenges. The evaluation includes recommendations to enhance the strategic framework for, and prioritization of, CD; information available to Executive Directors and opportunities to exercise their oversight role; the integration of CD with surveillance and programs, particularly in the context of programs; CD ownership and delivery; the monitoring and evaluation framework; the sustainability of the CD funding model; and HR policies and incentives to maintain and develop the expertise in the Fund’s core and newly emerging CD topics.

Keywords:
Capacity Development; Technical Assistance; Training; Donors; Capacity Building; Institutional Capacity; IMF CD; CD strategy review; CD resource; CD ownership; CD work; COVID-19; Absorptive capacity; Climate change; Information and data management; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Middle East; Central America; Southeast Asia; North Africa; Africa; Western Hemisphere; Europe; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Liberia: 2022 Article IV Consultation and Fourth Review of the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, Requests for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion, and Rephasing of Access-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Liberia is a fragile, low-income country. Per-capita income remains about a third of the level prior to the civil wars during 1989-2003. After a bout of economic instability, prudent monetary and fiscal policies reduced inflation to just over 5 percent in 2021 and budgets are financed without recourse to central bank credit. Economic growth suffered first from macroeconomic instability and then from the COVID-19 pandemic. Growth rebounded to 5 percent in 2021 and, after a soft patch this year due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, should reach 5-6 percent in the medium term if Liberia taps its clear potential through persistent structural reforms and prudent policies. The government’s resolve will be tested in the runup to the general elections in September 2023.
Keywords:
Liberian authorities; pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development; reform agenda; airport authority; government contract; Debt sustainability; Debt sustainability analysis; Global; Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Liberia: Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Ensuring macroeconomic stability, providing a foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth, and addressing weak governance are the tenets of the ECF-supported program. The COVID-19 pandemic was a painful setback, but economic activity should recover by end-2021 and prospects for growth in 2022 are favorable. Prudent monetary and fiscal policies allowed inflation to decline into the single digits. The authorities are addressing disruptive currency shortages through a comprehensive currency changeover operation. While the SDR allocation provides timely room for supportive policies without compromising macroeconomic stability, the authorities remain committed to their reform program and generally continue to implement the necessary measures.
Keywords:
Liberian authorities; asset declaration regime; reform program; containment effort; arrears-payment strategy; Currencies; International reserves; Budget planning and preparation; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Liberia: First and Second Reviews Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria and Modification of Performance Criteria-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Restoring macroeconomic stability, providing a foundation for sustainable inclusive growth, and addressing weaknesses in governance remain the main objectives of this program. While allowing for a slight fiscal loosening to meet humanitarian needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, tight monetary policy, much improved public financial management, domestic revenue mobilization, and zero central bank financing have supported the administration’s efforts to achieve price and exchange rate stability. This has helped to preserve the purchasing power of the poor who were the most affected by the high inflation environment at the program’s inception. The authorities consider bringing the ECF-supported program back on track of utmost importance and are committed to their development plan, the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; staff appraisal; staff statement; currency management plan; financing gap; Executive Board discussion
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Economic Consequences of Conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa
Xiangming Fang
,
Siddharth Kothari
,
Mr. Cameron McLoughlin
, and
Mustafa Yenice
Sub-Saharan Africa has been marred by conflicts during the past several decades. While the intensity of conflicts in recent years is lower than that observed in the 1990s, the region remains prone to conflicts, with around 30 percent of the countries affected in 2019. In addition to immeasurable human suffering, conflicts impose large economic costs. On average, annual growth in countries in intense conflicts is about 2.5 percentage points lower, and the cumulative impact on per capita GDP increases over time. Furthermore, conflicts pose significant strains on countries’ public finances, lowering revenue, raising military spending, and shifting resources away from development and social spending.
Keywords:
conflict; growth; fiscal policy; military spending; sub-Saharan Africa; sub-Saharan Africa country; partner country growth; per-capita GDP; Sahel region; growth rate; public finances; No. of country; conflict country; civil war; time effect; country classification; Defense spending; Capital spending; Total expenditures; Africa; Middle East; East Africa; North Africa