News & Events

News

Reforming the Polish tax system to improve its efficiency

05-Aug-2008

This paper reviews the main features of the Polish tax system and explores options to improve its efficiency, including possibilities to broaden existing tax bases as well as to shift the tax burden from labour towards less mobile and distorting sources such as property.

Modernising Canada’s agricultural policies

05-Aug-2008

The agricultural sector in Canada is relatively large, compared to those in most other G7 countries. In recent years, the federal and provincial governments have undertaken a number of sectoral reforms to meet the competitiveness and environmental challenges that it faces.

Health status determinants: lifestyle, environment, health care resources and efficiency

05-Aug-2008

This paper aims to shed light on the contribution of health care and other determinants to the health status of the population and to provide evidence on whether or not health care resources are producing similar value for money across OECD countries. The empirical estimates suggest that potential efficiency gains might be large enough to raise life expectancy at birth by almost three years on average for OECD countries, while a 10% increase in total health spending would increase life expectancy by three to four months.

OECD Economic Assessment of Indonesia 2008

24-Jul-2008

Indonesia’s economic performance is improving and growth is picking up. An important policy challenge is to sustain high growth over the longer term so as to ensure a faster catch-up in living standards relative to the OECD area.

The euro changeover in the Slovak Republic: Implications for inflation and interest rates

18-Jul-2008

An informal EDRC seminar took place on 9 July 2008, focussing on the implications of euro adoption for inflation and interest rates in the Slovak Republic, based on the experience of existing euro area countries.

The usefulness of output gaps for policy analysis

17-Jul-2008

Measures of the gap between actual and potential activity are used frequently as indicators of the economic cycle and play a vital role in the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy. This paper investigates the uncertainty surrounding projections and early outturn estimates of such gaps and evaluates their usefulness for policy making in real time.

OECD Economic Assessment of South Africa

15-Jul-2008

Prudent macroeconomic policies have driven South Africa’s impressive economic performance over the past decade, but huge problems remain, notably in tackling  unemployment. Policies to strengthen competition and improve education would raise living standards both by helping to realise South Africa’s employment potential and by boosting long-term productivity growth.

Coping with labour shortages: How to bring outsiders back to the labour market

10-Jul-2008

The Dutch labour market is functioning well, with employment and labour participation rates above OECD averages. Reintegrating benefit recipients would help to reduce spending on labour market programmes, which is among the highest in the OECD.


Events

Ask the economists: Russia - will the boom bust?

on 11-Dec-2006

Is Russia relying too much on the energy sector and, if so, what is the cure? Click here  to read the questions and answers from this online debate with OECD economists on the Russian economy .

Seminar: Realising the Oil Supply Potential of the CIS: The Role of Institutions and Policies

on 23-Jun-2006

This Seminar is part of the EDRC Outreach Programme. Experts from the OECD Economics Department, the EBRD and independent academics discuss the scope for improving policies concerning oil exploration, production and transportation in the CIS. While production and reserves are small relative to OPEC they make a big contribution to covering the soaring demand from emerging economies and the United States. A re-emerging dirigisme throughout the region risks imposing a burden on CIS growth potential and limit the regions capacity to reduce OPEC monopoly power.

OECD Work on G8 Priorities for 2006 Summit

from 15-Jul-2006 to 17-Jul-2006

This year's G8 Summit took place in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The top priorities laid down by President Vladimir Putin were global energy security, education and fighting infectious diseases. Go here for OECD work on these and other issues discussed at the 2006 Summit.



Top of page

How deep is the impact of the recent oil and credit shocks on the productive potential of OECD economies?

Issue No. 83