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Middle East and Central Asia > Saudi Arabia

You are looking at 1 - 4 of 4 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Demographic Economics: General x
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Cover IMF Working Papers
Pandemics and Inequality: Perceptions and Preferences for Redistribution
Vybhavi Balasundharam
and
Ms. Era Dabla-Norris
This paper uses an individual-level survey conducted by the Edelman Trust Barometer in mid-April for 11 advanced and emerging market economies to examine perceptions of government performance in managing the health and economic crisis, beliefs about the future, and attitudes about redistribution. We find that women, non-college educated, the unemployed, and those in non-teleworkable jobs systematically have less favorable perceptions of government responses. Personally experiencing illness or job loss caused by the pandemic can shape people’s beliefs about the future, heightening uncertainties about prolonged job losses, and the imminent threat from automation. Economic anxieties are amplified in countries that experienced an early surge in infections followed by successful containment, suggesting that negative beliefs can persist. Support for pro-equality redistributive policies varies, depending on personal experiences and views about the poor. However, we find strong willingness to provide social safety nets for vulnerable individuals and firms by those who have a more favorable perception of government responses, suggesting that effective government actions can promote support for redistributive policies.
Keywords:
inequality; perceptions; government; political economy; WP; government response; government performance; government intervention; health crisis; containment measure
Cover IMF Working Papers
International Reserves—Too Much of a Zipf’s Thing
Mariusz A. Sumlinski
Concentrated distribution of international reserves is puzzling. I show that the growth rates of international reserves bear only a very weak relationship to their initial stocks (scaled by GDP or in absolute terms), and that, by implication, the cross-sectional distribution of reserves conforms to Zipf's law. The law states that the size of reserves is inversely related to their ranking. Evidence in favor of the law is strong and time robust. I compare the crosssection distribution of international reserves embedded in the WEO projections to that implied by Zipf's law and find that international reserves are much less concentrated in the WEO projections than implied by Zipf's law.
Keywords:
WP; law influence; growth rate; reserve
Cover Macroeconomic Issues and Policies in the Middle East and North Africa
Macroeconomic Issues and Policies in the Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

This book brings together recent IMF research on how the Middle East and North African countries are grappling with various macroeconomic challenges. It rigorously analyzes policy alternatives for a range of relevant topics, including the implications of changing demographic trends for growth and unemployment, determinants of inflation, financial-sector reform and Islamic banking, fiscal sustainability in oil-dependent economies, exchange rate and trade arrangements, and impediments to foreign direct investment. The book’s overall theme-self-sustaining and faster growth can be achieved through comprehensive structural reforms and closer collaboration between the region’s policymakers and the international community.

Keywords:
BOOK; exchange rate; market; SDR zone; EU imports; EU association agreement; core deficit; GCC country; Exchange rates; Tariffs; Exports; Real exchange rates; Imports; Middle East; North Africa; Maghreb; East Asia; Western Hemisphere
Cover Finance & Development
Finance & Development, March 1976
International Monetary Fund. External Relations Dept.
This paper highlights that agreement on an important package of reforms of vital significance to the future of the international monetary system was reached at a meeting of the Interim Committee of the Board of Governors of the IMF on the International Monetary System in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 7–8, 1976. The reforms include a substantial quota increase for almost all members, as well as an increase in access to the IMF’s resources for all member countries in the period prior to implementation of the increase in their IMF quotas, and some other amendments.
Keywords:
FD; F&D; country; land pollution; world conference; tax haven; dollar; developed country; tax haven country; State budget; Tax avoidance; Housing; International reserves; Global; Middle East; Africa; Asia and Pacific; North America; Europe