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Europe > Ukraine

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 12 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Nonwage Labor Costs and Benefits; Private Pensions x
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Cover Selected Issues Papers
Wage Indexation and International Competitiveness in Belgium: An Uneasy Coexistence: Belgium
André Geis
Belgium is one of a small group of euro area countries that maintains indexation of wages to inflation as part of its wage setting framework. With intensified price pressures since late 2020 driving inflation to record levels, the tension between compensating workers for purchasing power losses while maintaining international competitiveness have again been highlighted. To improve the performance and viability of the current setup, several avenues of reform could be envisaged. In particular, the scope for excluding price increases in highly volatile components, like energy and food, from the indexation basis should be explored to less the need to restore competitiveness by prolonged periods of real wage restraint. Moreover, options to widen the flexibility of the indexation regime should be contemplated to alleviate the burden of firms at times of large and multiple shocks, thereby also preserving investment and employment. Finally, productivity trends should also be accounted for to capture deviations of labor costs between Belgium and its key export markets.
Keywords:
inflation; price setting; collective bargaining; wage formation; wage setting; wage indexation; inflation indexation; international competitiveness; indexation basis; indexation regime; energy price inflation; health index inflation driver; Wages; Energy prices; Global; Baltics
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Finland: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Non-Bank Financial Intermediation and Pension Insurance Companies
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This technical note evaluates non-bank financial institutions (NBFI) as a sector in Finland, with a special focus on the pension insurance companies (PIC). Pensions, including the PICs and fund managers, are the most significant parts of the NBFI sector, followed by insurance. Market participants value their relationship with the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority, particularly during crisis periods, but noted that extra resources and expertise would be useful for the NBFI sector. The Financial Sector Assessment Program analysis reveals a history of procyclical and herding behavior in the PIC portfolios due to the substance and perception of the solvency regulations, which drive the behavior of market participants. Discussion on further reforms to the 2017 solvency laws should focus on enhancing the long-term purpose of the PICs to generate returns—to the benefit of all social partners and Finnish citizens. Even though liquidity risks are low, a liquidity regulation should be developed so that PICs have sufficient buffers for extreme events.
Keywords:
PIC equity investment; PIC asset allocation; Pension insurance company; pension insurance company Market; FSAP's finding; finance disclosure Regulation; investment allocation; Pension spending; Solvency; Pensions; Insurance companies; Insurance; Global; Europe
Cover Technical Notes and Manuals
IMF Engagement on Pension Issues in Surveillance and Program Work
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
and
International Monetary Fund. Strategy, Policy, & Review Department
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is increasingly involved in offering policy advice on public pension issues to member countries. Public pension spending is important from both fiscal and welfare perspectives. Pension policy and its reforms can have significant fiscal and distribution implications, can influence labor supply and labor demand decisions, and may impact consumption and savings behavior. This technical note provides guidance on assessing public pension systems’ macrocriticality, i.e., sustainability, adequacy, and efficiency; it also discusses the issues and policy trade-offs to be considered when designing responses aiming to address these dimensions of the pension system. The paper emphasizes the importance of taking a long-term, comprehensive perspective when evaluating public pension spending and providing policy advice. Where feasible, reforms should be gradual and transparent to allow individuals ample time to adjust their work and savings decisions and to facilitate consumption smoothing over their lifecycle to avoid poverty in old age. It is also important to ensure that pension systems’ design and reforms do not lead to undesirable impacts in other policy areas including general tax compliance, health insurance coverage, labor force participation among older workers, or labor market informality. The paper emphasizes the importance country-specific social and economic objectives and constraints, as well as political economy realities – factors that can determine whether a pension reform is a success or failure.
Keywords:
Fiscal Policy; Social Protection; Pensions; Fiscal Sustainability; Defined Benefit; Defined Contribution; pension policy; policy engagement; Policy advice; General consideration; pension provision; C. IMF-supported program; Pension spending; Pension reform; Aging; Europe; Africa; Global; Southeast Asia; Eastern Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Russian Federation: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund
In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; CIS market; CIS country; replacement rate
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Russian Federation: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund
This Selected Issues paper for the Russian Federation discusses existing empirical efforts to measure the determinants of cross-country financial integration. Empirical studies that have adopted the gravity-model framework have found that it is generally successful in explaining bilateral financial flows. If the pension gap were to be financed through the budget, the model simulations suggest that fiscal room is best created by lowering government consumption. Consideration should be given to outsourcing the management of the mandatory contributions to private asset managers.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; CIS market; CIS country; replacement rate; CIS economy; CIS dummy; Pension spending; Pensions; Retirement; Aging; Financial integration; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Ukraine: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund
This Selected Issues paper investigates the economic importance of institutions in Ukraine, and attempts to quantify the potential benefits of market-friendly structural reforms. The paper reviews some of the key findings of the development-accounting literature, which has tried to explain the significant differences in income that persist across countries. It introduces the stochastic-frontier approach, outlining its key assumptions and strengths, and results obtained with the stochastic-frontier model. The implications of the results for the specific case of Ukraine are discussed. The paper also analyzes external risks and opportunities for Ukraine.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; price; inflation; inflation persistence; Ukraine; replacement rate; CPI index; CPI inflation; contribution rate; Pension spending; Metal prices; Pensions; Import prices; Global; Eastern Europe; Asia and Pacific; Baltics
Cover Social Safety Nets
Social Safety Nets
Issues and Recent Experience

Abstract

The 14 papers that comprise this book, edited by Ke-young Chu and Sanjeev Gupta, provide a comprehensive review of the IMF's work on social safety nets. Part I provides a broad overview of the social concerns in structural policy and the basic work related to social safety nets. Part II deals with the design of social safety nets. Part III provides case studies on nine countries from different parts of the world.

Keywords:
BOOK; government; price; wage bill; retirement age; price effect; ESAF program; transition country; Income; Pension spending; Social assistance spending; Wages; Personal income; Eastern Europe; Baltics; Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Middle East; East Asia; Pensions; Caribbean
Cover IMF Working Papers
Pension Reform in the Baltics, Russia, and other Countries of the Former Soviet Union (BRO)
International Monetary Fund
Despite their increasing fiscal burden, the public pension systems of BRO countries are failing to provide adequate social protection. Although there is a broad consensus about the need for pension reforms, BRO countries are debating whether to embark on systemic reforms or whether to correct the distortions in their pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension systems. The paper reviews the measures taken by BRO countries during the transition period to address their pension problems and examines the options for further reform. It makes a strong case for a gradual reform approach aimed at establishing a multi-pillar system over the long run, but initially focused on implementation of “high-quality” reforms of the PAYG system.
Keywords:
WP; pension; pension system; BRO country; country; Pension Reform; Transition; Social Protection; coverage ratio; contribution rate; country authorities; early retirement; retirement age; PAYG system; pension provision; Pension spending; Pensions; Aging; Retirement; Baltics
Cover IMF Policy Discussion Papers
Social Protection in Transition Countries: Emerging Issues
Mr. Sanjeev Gupta
and
Mr. Ke-young Chu
The paper discusses the social protection implications of the weakening financial and administrative capacity of countries undergoing economic transition. The formal sector is shrinking, and unemployment and underemployment are rising rapidly. This is affecting both the revenue base of social protection programs and the ability of these countries to target social benefits. These developments make it imperative for these countries to restructure social benefits, rely more on self-targeting mechanisms to deliver benefits, as well as take immediate steps to improve payroll tax compliance. This is a Paper on Policy Analysis and Assessment and the author(s) would welcome any comments on the present text Citations should refer to a Paper on Policy Analysis and Assessment of the International Monetary Fund, mentioning the author(s) and the date of issuance. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the Fund.
Keywords:
PDP; transition country; country; wage; government; wage bill; government cash benefit; wage fund; sector wage; retirement age; earnings history; Wages; Income; Payroll tax; Pension spending; Aging; Baltics; Eastern Europe
Cover IMF Staff Papers
IMF Staff papers: Volume 41 No. 4
International Monetary Fund. Research Dept.
The paper presents a model of optimum currency areas using a general equilibrium approach with regionally differentiated goods. The choice of a currency union depends upon the size of the underlying disturbances, the correlation between these disturbances, the costs of transactions across currencies, factor mobility across regions, and the interrelationships between demand for different goods. It is found that, while a currency union can raise the welfare of the regions within the union, it unambiguously lowers welfare for those outside the union. [JEL F33, F36]
Keywords:
SP; currency union; lending rate; terms of trade; currency arrangement; arrangements in country; progress of economic reform; export tax breaks; exchange rate strategy; Monetary unions; Tariffs; Money markets; Consumption; Pensions; Sub-Saharan Africa; Central and Eastern Europe; Europe; Global; Eastern Europe