Some Thoughts on the Role of Fiscal Policy in Stabilization and Structural Adjustment in Developing Countries

The paper analyzes the role of fiscal policy in the restoration of internal and external macroeconomic equilibrium and in achieving structural adjustment, i.e. major changes in the patterns of sectoral and intertemporal resource allocation. The focus is on developing and new industrial countries which are in need of both stabilization and structural adjustment. The external transfer problem and the associated internal fiscal and real resource transfer problems are analyzed with special emphasis on possible causes for the breakdown of the internal and external transfer processes. The concepts of national and public sector solvency are used to evaluate the mutual consistency and feasibility of fiscal, financial and monetary plans. Special attention is devoted to the inflation tax and to the links between the fiscal deficit and inflation.