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Europe > Iceland

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 21 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General x
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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Republic of Uzbekistan: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Uzbekistan embarked on an ambitious reform path in 2017, starting to liberalize its economy after years of state control. Incomes are still relatively low compared to other emerging economies. Uzbekistan entered the COVID-19 crisis with relatively strong macro-economic fundamentals.
Keywords:
Policy discussion; government transparency; Policy recommendation; IMF's transparency policy; macro-economic policies; Budget planning and preparation; Public and publicly-guaranteed external debt; COVID-19; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Kenya: Technical Assistance Report—Improving the Quality of Fiscal and Public Debt Data (October 7-16, 2019)
International Monetary Fund. Statistics Dept.
In response to a request from the Government of Kenya, an AFRITAC East (AFE) government finance statistics (GFS) technical assistance (TA) mission was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, during October 7–16, 2019. The primary objective of the mission was to support staff in improving the quality of fiscal and public debt data for the general government and migration of the fiscal framework to Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) concepts to facilitate fiscal and debt policy analysis for improved public financial management. This is a continuation of the ongoing efforts in capacity development aimed at supporting member countries to adopt the GFSM 2014 and the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide (PSDSG 2011).
Keywords:
IMF PSDS Questionnaire; appendix XI; appendix I. Implementation of recommendation; BCG statement; TA mission; Government finance statistics; Public sector; Fiscal governance; Total expenditures; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Information and Inequality in the Time of a Pandemic
Allan Dizioli
and
Roberto Pinheiro
We introduce two types of agent heterogeneity in a calibrated epidemiological search model. First, some agents cannot afford staying home to minimize their virus exposure, while others can. Our results show that these poor agents bear most of the epidemic’s health costs. Moreover, we show that having more agents who do not change their behavior during the pandemic could lead to a deeper recession. Second, agents are heterogeneous in developing symptoms. We show that diseases with higher share of asymptomatic cases, even if less lethal, lead to worse health and economic outcomes. Public policies such as testing, quarantining, and lockdowns are particularly beneficial in economies with a larger share of poor agents. However, lockdowns lose effectiveness when part of the agents take precautions to minimize virus exposure independent of government actions.
Keywords:
WP; infection rate; asymptomatic infection; unconstrained agent; Bellman equation; time allocation; flow utility; arrival rate; infected agent; Labor supply; Public expenditure review; COVID-19; testing; asymptomaticity; inequality
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This paper examines Iceland’s expenditure policy, especially five expenditure pressure points, as well as capital flows and monetary policy effectiveness in small open economies. The postcrisis fiscal adjustment demanded painful choices, with spending on healthcare, education, and investment suffering cuts in real terms. While expenditures in these areas have rebounded more recently, there is a room for further decompression. Using quarterly panel data for 18 advanced and emerging small open economies during 2002–15, it finds that monetary policy is focused on inflation developments, but also that domestic interest rates affect capital flows, raising concerns about a reinforcing loop between monetary policy and capital flows.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; monetary policy; cost; GDP; monetary policy effectiveness; health expenditure; expenditure pressure points; monetary policy independence; monetary policy stance; interest cost; Capital flows; Capital inflows; Macroprudential policy instruments; Macroprudential policy; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Sixth Post-Program Monitoring Discussions
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This paper discusses the recommendations of the Sixth Post-program Monitoring Discussions with Iceland. Iceland recently updated its capital account liberalization strategy. The strategy takes a staged approach, starting with steps to address the balance-of-payments overhang of the old bank estates—prioritizing a cooperative approach with incentives—in a manner consistent with maintaining stability. Growth is accelerating in 2015 and is expected to reach 4.1 percent, backed by significant investment, wage- and debt relief-fueled consumption, and booming tourism. The general government is projected to record a surplus of 0.8 percent of GDP in 2015, helped by large one-offs. Small deficits are also expected over 2016–20.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; inflation expectation; liberalization; liberalization strategy; capital account liberalization strategy; anchor inflation expectation; wage agreement; net export; Capital account liberalization; Wages; Income; Gender budgeting; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Selected Issues Paper
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This Selected Issues paper examines implications of capital account liberalization in Iceland. Capital controls were critical in 2008 to avoid a more severe collapse of the Icelandic economy. Six years later, capital inflows have been liberalized, but most outflows remain restricted. Iceland has used the breathing room to reduce flow and stock vulnerabilities, strengthen institutions, and prepare for the lifting of capital controls. Simulations using the central bank’s Quarterly Macroeconomic Model (QMM) suggest that, compared with the 2008 crisis episode, the economy can better withstand the impact of an abrupt removal of capital controls. However, the outcome would be dependent on a number of factors, including resident depositor behavior.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; Iceland; financial crisis; saving; investment; statistics Iceland; current account balance; FCI component; credit condition; saving rate; Housing prices; Personal income tax; Private savings; Global; East Asia; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Expenditure Rules: Effective Tools for Sound Fiscal Policy?
Till Cordes
,
Mr. Tidiane Kinda
, and
Ms. Priscilla S Muthoora
This paper provides new evidence on the effectiveness of expenditure rules. The analysis is based on a unique dataset covering all countries with national and supranational fiscal rules, including 33 expenditure rules, between 1985 and 2013. It contributes to the existing literature on fiscal rules in two main ways. First, it is the most comprehensive assessment of compliance with rules and of the potential role of expenditure rules, in particular regarding long-term sustainability. Second, it analyzes whether expenditure rules are associated with changes in public investment and its efficiency.
Keywords:
WP; expenditure rule; rule; country; expenditure target; Expenditure rules; Fiscal governance; Fiscal policy; Rules versus discretion; Stabilization; growth rule; expenditure pressure; expenditure cap; expenditure constraint; debt rule; implementation of an expenditure rule; rule index; national expenditure; rule characteristic; expenditure targets in Israel; Fiscal rules; Fiscal stance; Public investment spending; Global
Cover Policy Papers
2011 Review of Conditionality - Content and Application of Conditionality
International Monetary Fund
This paper reviews the design of conditionality in Fund-supported programs from 2002 to end-September 2011, with an emphasis on recent years. It focuses on the content and application of program conditionality—especially structural conditionality—in relation to the 2002 Conditionality Guidelines (the "Guidelines"), the Staff Statement on Principles Underlying the Guidelines on Conditionality, and subsequent revisions to operational guidance on conditionality. The analysis is based on the five key interrelated principles guiding the design of conditionality: national ownership of programs, parsimony in program-related conditions, tailoring to country circumstances, effective coordination with other multilateral institutions, and clarity in the specification of conditions. In particular, the principle of parsimony requires that program-related conditions be critical (or the minimum necessary) to achieve program objectives and goals, critical for monitoring program implementation, or necessary for implementing specific provisions under the Articles of Agreement (the "criticality criterion"). Beyond assessing compliance with these guidelines and principles, the paper also examines the implementation of conditionality
Keywords:
PP; PRGT program; country authorities; Fund staff; Fund-supported program; Fund condition; program Conditionality; program design; program objective; Fund conditionality; core area; program interruption; program approval; Gra program; Structural reforms; Public expenditure review; Government debt management; Financial sector; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Selected Issues Paper
International Monetary Fund
This selected issues paper on Iceland reports that since mid-2009, Iceland has undergone a heavily frontloaded fiscal consolidation program to bring government finances to a sustainable level. To maintain the adjustment gains achieved during the last 2½ years, the authorities have started drafting a new organic budget law, which would codify recent reforms in the budget framework and introduce principles for fiscal policymaking. Iceland’s economy is exposed to adverse shocks. The external outlook continues to pose challenges, as key trading partners face weak growth prospects.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; monetary policy; exchange rate; expenditure growth; inflation expectation; inflation targeting framework; growth limit; monetary policy framework; Inflation; Fiscal stance; Inflation targeting; Output gap; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Technical Assistance Report on a New Organic Budget Law
International Monetary Fund
This technical assistance report on Iceland focuses on a new organic budget law (OBL). In designing a new OBL, it is important to preserve good features of Iceland’s current legal framework for budgeting. At the same time, any new OBL should address the key weaknesses in the Financial Reporting Act 1997 that prevent it from providing a credible, integrated framework for budgeting. The institutional coverage of the OBL should be expanded to encompass the whole public sector and incorporate an integrated timetable for the entire budget process.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; central government; annual budget; operating statement; budget year; balance sheet; Medium-term Fiscal Strategy; permanent secretary; net lending; Budget planning and preparation; Fiscal law; Financial statements; Australia and New Zealand