About the Book
Fiscal policy is critical to the development of poor countries. Public spending on pro poor services and public goods must be increased, tax revenues must be mobilized, and macro economic stabilization must be achieved without inhibiting growth, poverty reduction and post conflict reconstruction. This book provides both a comprehensive and balanced guide to the current policy debate and new results on the development impact of fiscal policies. It is essential reading for students of development economics as well as all those seeking to improve policy effectiveness.
CHRISTOPHER ADAM Department of Economics, University of Oxford, UK DAVID BEVAN University Lecturer in Economics, University of Oxford, UK SONIA BHALOTRA Reader in Economics, University of Bristol, UK ABDUR CHOWDHURY Director of the Economic Analysis Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva, Switzerland MICK FOSTER Mick Foster Economics Ltd, UK ADRIAN FOZZARD Senior Public Sector Specialist, World Bank, East Asia and Pacific Region NORMAN GEMMELL School of Economics, University of Nottingham, UK CHRISTOPHER HEADY Head of Tax Policy and Statistics, OECD, France NIELS HERMES Department of Financial Management, University of Groningen, The Netherlands RAGHBENDRA JHA Australia South Asia Research Centre, Australian National University, Australia ROBERT LENSINK Faculty of Economics, University of Groningen, The Netherlands MARK MCGILLIVRAY Senior Research Fellow and Project Director, UNU/WIDER, Helsinki, Finland ANDREW MCKAY Profess or of Economics, University of Bath, UK OLIVER MORRISSEY Director of Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade, University of Nottingham, UK MANSOOB MURSHED Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands LEONCE NDIKUMANA Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA RITVA REINIKKA Research Manager, Development Research Group, World Bank, USA JAKOB SVENSSON Research Fellow, Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden
Table of Contents:
Introduction; T.Addison & A.Roe The Macroeconomics of Fiscal Policy in Developing Countries; R.Jha Fiscal Policy Design in Low-Income Countries; C.S.Adam & D.L.Bevan Fiscal Effects of Aid; M.McGillivray & O.Morrissey Changing Approaches to Public Expenditure Management in Low-income Aid Dependent Countries; A.Fozzard & M.Foster Taxation Policy in Low-Income Countries; C.Heady Fiscal Policy in a Growth Framework; N.Gemmell Fiscal Policy and Private Investment in Less Developed Countries; N.Hermes & R.Lensink Assessing the Impact of Fiscal Policy on Poverty; A.McKay Efficiency of Public Spending: New Microeconomic Tools to Assess Service Delivery; R.Reinikka & J.Svensson Welfare Implications of Fiscal Reform: The Case of Food Subsidies in India; S.Bhalotra The Fiscal Dimensions of Conflict and Reconstruction; T.Addison, A.R.Chowdhury & S.Mansoob Murshed Fiscal Policy, Conflict, and Reconstruction in Burundi and Rwanda; L.Ndikumana
About the Author :
CHRISTOPHER S. ADAM Research Associate, Department of Economics, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford, UK
DAVID L. BEVAN Lecturer in Economics, University of Oxford, UK
SONIA BHALOTRA Reader in Economics, University of Bristol, UK
ABDUR R. CHOWDHURY Director, Economic Analysis Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Switzerland
MICK FOSTER Mick Foster Economics Ltd., UK
ADRIAN FOZZARD Senior Public Sector Specialist, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Sector Unit, East Asia and Pacific Region, World Bank, USA
NORMAN GEMMELL Professorial Research Fellow, School of Economics, University of Nottingham, UK
CHRISTOPHER HEADY Head of Tax Policy and Statistics, OECD, France
NIELS HERMES Associate Professor, Department of Financial Management, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
RAGHBENDRA JHA Rajiv Gandhi Chair Professor and Executive Director, Australia South Asia Research Centre, Australian National University, Australia
ROBERT LENSINK Professor of Finance and Financial Markets, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
S. MANSOOB MURSHED Associate Professor of Development Economics, Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands
MARK MCGILLIVRAY Senior Research Fellow and Project Director, UNU-WIDER, Finland
ANDREW MCKAY Professor of Economics, University of Bath, UK
OLIVER MORRISSEY Director, Centre for Research in Economic Development and International Trade (CREDIT), University of Nottingham , UK
LEONCE NDIKUMANA Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, USA
RITVA REINIKKA Research Manager, Development Research Group, World Bank, USA
JAKOB SVENSSON Research Fellow, Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden
Review :
'It seems that with each new book it issues, UNU-WIDER further establishes its reputation as the intellectual leader among international organisations.' - John Weeks, Professor of Development Economics, SOAS, University of London, UK
'This is a very timely book. It represents the most comprehensive treatment to date of ways to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of poverty reduction, while at the same time maintaining the ongoing objectives of macro stabilization, accelerating growth and institutional reform. The result is a comprehensive and authoritative overview of a balanced approach to designing a poverty reduction fiscal policy programme. UNU-WIDER continues to set the agenda for development policy research for the new millennium.' - Robin Boadway, Professor, Department of Economics, Queen's University, Canada
'This book stands out in two ways. First, this is cutting edge research. The list of authors reads as a Who's Who? in the field of fiscal policy analysis in developing countries and the quality of the contributions is very high. Second, the volume moves well beyond the traditional topics. Novel issues include the design of new tax systems when the state is very weak, the fiscal implications of war, assessing the impact of fiscal policy on poverty, and the effect of tax choices on economic growth.' - Jan Willem Gunning, Professor, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
'Fiscal policy is a core ingredient of adjustment policy in developing countries be it adjustment to liberalisation, post-conflict reconstruction or growth promotion. This volume contains an excellent collection of studies which probe all aspects of fiscal policy. It should prove to be an invaluable reference for students, researchers and analysts.' - David Greenaway, Professor, School of Economics, University of Nottingham, UK
'This volume represents a clear, in-depth analysis of many aspects of fiscal policy and its relationship to the development of poor countries. The book consists of high-quality contributions by authors who are recognised experts in their fields. The coverage of topics is very comprehensive indeed...ranging from the macroeconomics to the microeconomics of fiscal policy, and from public expenditure management through to taxation policy. The volume also tackles major issues of current concern head-on, such as the impact of fiscal policy on poverty and the fiscal policy implications of conflict and reconstruction. By so clearly synthesising the results of the latest research and identifying the main unresolved questions the book is bound to stimulate a more informed debate. I strongly recommend this exciting book to graduate students, researchers and policymakers alike.' - Jeffery Round, Professor, University of Warwick, UK
'Researchers and policy analysts will find this book to be an excellent basis for thinking about a number of difficult fiscal, tax, and budgetary issues facing developing economies. The readings are of high quality and relevant to current policy analysis. The papers contained in this book scream out to policy makers as to why better budgetary practices as outlined in this book are not commonly adopted throughout the world.' - Jack Mintz, President and CEO, C.D. Howe Institute, Toronto, Canada
'Sustainable development in low-income countries cannot occur without a prior improvement of their fiscal institutions. This important book analyses thoroughly the various facets of this problem, and makes some definite contributions that will help the development community redirect its analytical efforts in the right direction.' - Jean-Paul Azam, Professor, Université de Sciences Sociales, Toulouse, France
'...all in all an excellent collection of papers.' - Andrew Mold, Journal of International Development
