Fiscal policy regimes based on a developed fiscal institutions and fiscal rules are increasingly adopted by governments that aim at stronger fiscal policy sustainability, more output stability, and more resilience of public finances to political pressure. This paper describes and evaluates...

This paper analyzes the impact of strained government finances on macroeconomic stability and the transmission of fiscal policy. Using a variant of the model by Curdia and Woodford (2009), we study a "sovereign risk channel" through which sovereign default risk raises funding costs in the...

This Selected Issues Paper focuses on the Heritage and Stabilization Fund (HSF) and development in the energy sector in Trinidad and Tobago. The HSF, established in 2007, is an important national asset, which has broad-based political and social support. The HSF has developed a strong record...

Peru’s fiscal framework embedded in the Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency Law (FRTL) has proved to be effective in reducing debt. The FRTL embodies some countercyclical elements in response to output or commodity price shocks. The combination of a provision for a moderate deficit on...

Official calculations of automatic stabilizers are seriously flawed since they rest on the assumption that the only element of social spending that reacts automatically to the cycle is unemployment compensation. This puts into question many estimates of discretionary fiscal policy. In response,...

The Executive Board of the IMF has completed the third review under the three-year Policy Support Instrument (PSI) for the Republic of Mozambique. Mozambique continues to weather the global economic turmoil well. Real GDP growth is projected to remain above 7 percent in 2011, benefiting from...

Portugal's economy faced severe crisis during the global economic and financial crisis. In this context, Portugal's authorities have put forward an economically well-balanced program that will focus on structural reforms to boost growth and employment, ensure balanced fiscal sustainability,...