Public Finance

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News

Reforming education in England

31-Jan-2012

Despite significant increases in spending on child care and education during the last decade, PISA scores suggest that educational performance remains static, uneven and strongly related to parents’ income and background. Better educational performance could improve labour market outcomes, raise growth, lower the consequences of a disadvantaged background and increase social mobility.

Switzerland: Taxation and tax policy

24-Jan-2012

There is scope for Switzerland to increase growth and equity through reforms of the tax system on all levels of government. See this survey of how this could be achieved in detail.

Current issues in managing government debt and assets

05-Jan-2012

The management of government debt and assets has important implications for fiscal positions. Debt managers aim to secure non-interrupted funding at lowest medium-term costs subject to risks.

Explaining the interest-rate-growth differential underlying government debt dynamics

02-Jan-2012

The differential between the interest rate paid to service government debt and the growth rate of the economy is a key concept in assessing fiscal sustainability. Among OECD economies, this differential was unusually low for much of the last decade compared with the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s.

Public spending efficiency in the Czech Republic: fiscal policy framework and the main spending areas of pensions and healthcare

02-Jan-2012

The Czech fiscal position is generally sound and policy making is prudent. However, the fiscal framework was not strong enough to contain spending in the upturn and it would benefit from independent budget oversight. An anchor for the fiscal policy would be helpful, in the form of an explicit debt target coupled with corresponding spending ceilings and deficit targets.

Fiscal policy in the Czech Republic

18-Nov-2011

In order to strengthen the fiscal policy framework the introduction of an explicit debt target should be considered and an independent fiscal institution should monitor and assess the budget as well as fiscal performance on all levels of government. Budgetary documentation should become more transparent and include performance indicators.

PUBLIC FINANCE: OECD and South Africa to set up first African sovereign debt management centre

25-May-2011

The OECD and South Africa will open a centre to help African governments manage their debt and bond markets in Midrand, South Africa.

Economy: OECD Economic Survey of Sweden 2011

23-Jan-2011

In the face of the crisis, Sweden’s healthy public finances proved a major asset. Going forward, maintaining a sound fiscal framework, encouraging greater labour force participation and further increasing the efficiency of public spending would help cope with future negative shocks and various fiscal pressures




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