Format:
1 online resource (114 pages)
ISBN:
9780821374511
,
9780821374504
Content:
The countries of Southeast Europe have undergone a significant transition over the past decade. Helped by macroeconomic stabilization and efforts in advancing structural reforms, real GDP growth has picked up this century. Fiscal adjustment has been an integral part of the transition. Expenditure cuts have helped trim spending relative to GDP in most countries in the region and cut fiscal deficits everywhere except in Serbia. Progress in fiscal consolidation has been substantial, but in several of the countries the government??s presence in the economy remains oversized. Costs related to advancing EU integration and completing reforms are expected to generate further pressures for public spending. Creating the fiscal space for addressing such pressures would require a further reduction in existing spending, given that there is still scope (or wisdom, for that matter) for increasing tax rates. The report identifies key remaining challenges and proposes a menu of options in further reforms in sectors that account for the largest shares of public spending, and where reforms are likely to have significant budgetary implications. The sectors discussed in the report are social protection, health, education, public administration, and infrastructure.
Content:
Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Executive Summary -- 1. Fiscal Developments and Government Spending -- Government Revenues -- Level and Trend of General Government Expenditures -- Expenditure Composition -- Lessons Learned from EU Members -- Conclusion -- 2. Ensuring Social Welfare: Social Protection -- Public Social Protection Systems -- Reforming the Pension System -- Reforming Social Welfare Benefits -- Reforming Labor-Market Support Programs -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- 3. Health -- The Institutional Setup -- Health Expenditures -- Health Outcomes and Utilization of Healthcare -- Health Financing and Expenditures Policies -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- 4. Education -- Education Expenditures and Sources of Financing -- Education Outcomes -- Institutional and Policy Context -- Efficiency Issues -- Equity Issues -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- 5. Size, Structure, and Remuneration of the Public Service -- Comparative Analysis of Public Sector Wage Bills -- Trends in Public Sector Staffing and Wage Levels -- Wage Setting Mechanism and Pay Structure -- Ongoing Reforms -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- 6. Infrastructure: Fiscal Space and Public Investment Management -- Infrastructure Gaps -- Macroeconomic Considerations -- Fiscal Space -- Public Investment Planning -- Conclusions and Recommendations -- References -- Back Cover.
Note:
Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources
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Contents; Acknowledgments; Acronyms and Abbreviations; Executive Summary; 1. Fiscal Developments and Government Spending; Table 1.1. Income Levels in Most SEE Countries Are Low; Figure 1.1. Convergence with the EU is Advancing; Figure 1.2. SEE Macroeconomic Developments; Table 1.2. The Countries of Southeast Europe: Relations with the EU; Table 1.3. SEE, Decomposing Fiscal Adjustment, 2000-05; Table 1.4. General Government Debt; Table 1.5. Fiscal Developments in SEE, 1997-2006; Table 1.6. General Government Interest Payments and Primary Expenditures, 1997-2006
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Figure 1.3. Primary Expenditure and Income per CapitaFigure 1.4. Actual and Predicted Levels of General Government Expenditures; Table 1.7. General Government Expenditures, Economic Classification; Figure 1.5. Public Sector Wages and Salaries; Figure 1.6. Public Administration Performance; Table 1.8. General Government Expenditures, Functional Classification; Figure 1.7. NMS Fiscal Adjustment, 2000-05; Table 1.9. Expenditure Adjustments in Select EU Countries in 1990s; 2. Ensuring Social Welfare: Social Protection; Table 2.1. Public Revenues and Expenditures on Social Protection
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Table 2.2. Public Expenditures on Social Protection: A Breakdown, 2005Table 2.3. Payroll Contribution Rates in SEE and Selected CEE Countries, 2006; Figure 2.1. SEE Population Aged 65 Years of Older; Figure 2.2. OECD Population Aged 65 Years of Older; Figure 2.3. Dependency Rates; Figure 2.4. Old Age Dependency Ratios, 2005-25; Figure 2.5. Contribution Rates; Figure 2.6. Share of Pensioners that Retired Under the Age of 65; Table 2.4. Basic Features of Reformed PAYG Systems in SEE; Figure 2.7. Percent of the Elderly Receiving Pensions Now and in the Future
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Table 2.5. Second Pillar Introduction3. Health; Table 3.1. Sources of Healthcare Financing, 2005; Table 3.2. Health Expenditure in SEE, 2004; Table 3.3. Health Spending as Percentage of Total Government Expenditures; Table 3.4. Health Outcomes in the SEE Countries, 1992-2005; Table 3.5. Social Insurance Contribution Rates for Health; Table 3.6. Health Service Delivery Data from SEE countries, 2005; Table 3.7. Health Insurance Fund Expenditures by Level of Care, 2002; Table 3.8. Paying Health Care Providers; Box 3.1. Improving Governance in the Health Sector in Macedonia; 4. Education
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Table 4.1. Public Spending on Education, 2004Figure 4.1. Student Performance in Reading and GDP per Capita, PISA 2000; Table 4.2. PISA Reading Scores: Albania,Macedonia, and Comparators; Table 4.3. Enrollment Rates in SEE and Selected Comparators, 2004; Table 4.4. Public Unit Costs by Level of Education; Table 4.6. Student Teacher Ratios in SEE Countries and Selected Comparators; Table 4.5. Number of Students in Basic Education; Table 4.7. Population Projections, 5-19 Year Olds; Table 4.8. Participation Rate in Education in Macedonia by Ethnic Group
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5. Size, Structure, and Remuneration of the Public Service
Additional Edition:
ISBN 9780821374504
Additional Edition:
Erscheint auch als Druck-Ausgabe ISBN 9780821374504
Language:
English
