Fiscal rules have become a common policy tool to promote the sustainability of public finances, as the number of countries with at least one fiscal rule has grown from ten in 1991 to more than 100 by 2021. Although fiscal rules promise to support fiscal discipline and maintain debt sustainability, their track record is often mixed, as simply adopting a fiscal rule does not … [Read more...] about Complying with Fiscal Rules in Latin America and the Caribbean: From Promises to Action
Gestión Fiscal
It is Time to Do Away with Boards in State-Owned Enterprises and Create a New Model of Monitoring
In many countries, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) play a key economic role, either as providers of fundamental public services or generating fiscal revenues by controlling strategic assets. To better achieve the objectives for which they were created, SOEs need to use their resources efficiently and effectively. As a result, how governments monitor and govern these institutions … [Read more...] about It is Time to Do Away with Boards in State-Owned Enterprises and Create a New Model of Monitoring
Six opportunities to promote resilience and decarbonization through fiscal policy
All countries in the region have signed the Paris Agreement, which aims to increase countries' resilience and adaptive capacity, as well as stabilize global warming below 2°C and as close to 1.5°C as possible. This objective implies two major challenges for finance ministries. First, they need to help drive large-scale and unprecedented changes in the energy, construction, … [Read more...] about Six opportunities to promote resilience and decarbonization through fiscal policy
Are Latin American and Caribbean Countries Complying with Their Fiscal Rules?
Over the past two decades, a growing number of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries began adopting fiscal rules to limit overspending influenced by election cycles, public pressure, and other political economy factors, helping the region strengthen its fiscal solvency and sustainability. However, in recent years the region has suffered several external shocks that … [Read more...] about Are Latin American and Caribbean Countries Complying with Their Fiscal Rules?
The Fiscal Puzzle of the Ukraine War for Latin America and the Caribbean
The war in Ukraine has produced a significant increase in energy costs that will likely delay the fiscal consolidation efforts already put in place by several governments in the region. This supply shock is also likely to fuel inflation and higher interest rates, adding further pressure on governments trying to service their debts. Higher domestic and global inflation has … [Read more...] about The Fiscal Puzzle of the Ukraine War for Latin America and the Caribbean