Your email was sent successfully. Check your inbox.

An error occurred while sending the email. Please try again.

Proceed reservation?

Export
Filter
  • English  (88)
  • Nicoletti, Giuseppe  (52)
  • Joumard, Isabelle  (36)
  • Paris : OECD Publishing  (88)
  • Birmingham, UK : Packt Publishing
Datasource
Material
Language
  • 1
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (42 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.1752
    Keywords: Science and Technology ; Economics
    Abstract: Digital markets have raised a number of new competition challenges. Ex-post competition policy appears not to be able to address them in their entirety and with the necessary speed. There is considerable consensus, among academics and policy-makers, that ex-ante regulatory policies are needed to avoid competition being stifled in these markets, with a negative impact on productivity and innovation. As a result, major OECD economies are discussing or have approved regulatory proposals with the aim to foster contestability and fair trade in digital markets.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 2
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (70 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Series Statement: OECD Economic Policy Papers no.30
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The full potential of digital technologies remains unrealised and their benefits unequally shared because of insufficient investment in enabling intangible assets and communication networks within and across countries. The COVID-19 shock poses new challenges and opportunities. Drawing on past and ongoing OECD work, the paper proposes a multipronged policy approach to durably accelerate the diffusion and uptake of digital technologies across all layers of society, and share their benefits more widely. The building blocks of the proposed LIFT approach include: Lifelong learning for all to ensure everybody has the opportunity to acquire and upgrade the skills needed to thrive in a digital world; Intangibles finance for the knowledge economy to allow more firms, especially small ones, to increase intangible investment and seize the opportunities offered by the digital transformation; Framework market conditions for the digital age to upgrade policies to the digital age, especially in the areas of taxation, competition law and enforcement, digital security, firms’ entry and exit, and e-government; Technology access via digital infrastructure to facilitate access to communication networks and accelerate the take up of digital technologies and their international diffusion.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 3
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (55 p.)
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.1683
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Despite the rising importance and economy-wide effects of online platforms, the paucity of cross-country comparable data still hampers understanding of the structural and policy determinants of their diffusion. This study contributes to the understanding of multi-sided online platforms in three main ways. First, we build a harmonised international dataset of online platforms and their use across 43 OECD and G20 countries, covering the 2013-19 period and nine areas of activity. Second, we describe main trends in the use of platforms in the past years, and third, we investigate the structural and policy determinants of online platforms diffusion across countries and over time.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 4
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (67 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Series Statement: OECD Productivity Working Papers no.31
    Keywords: Economics ; Science and Technology
    Abstract: Motivated by the sudden adoption of telework in the wake of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Global Forum on Productivity (GFP) undertook an online survey among managers and workers in 25 countries about their experience and expectations, with a particular focus on productivity and well-being. This paper presents analysis and results from this endeavour. It finds that managers and workers had an overall positive assessment from teleworking both for firm performance and for individual well-being, and wish to increase substantially the share of regular teleworkers from pre-crisis levels. Respondents, on average, find that the ideal amount of telework is around 2-3 days per week, in line with other recent evidence and with the idea that the benefits (e.g., less commuting, fewer distractions) and costs (e.g., impaired communication and knowledge flows) need to be balanced at an intermediate level of telework intensity. To meet the challenges of this “hybrid” working mode, as the survey finds, further changes from management are needed, such as the co-ordination of schedules to encourage a sufficient degree of in-person interaction, and further investment in ICT tools and skills as well as more soft skills to master online communication.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 5
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (66 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Series Statement: OECD Productivity Working Papers no.29
    Keywords: Economics ; Science and Technology
    Abstract: Relying on linked employer-employee datasets from 10 countries, this paper documents that the skills and the diversity of the workforce and of managers – the human side of businesses – account on average for about one third of the labour productivity gap between firms at the productivity “frontier” (the top 10% within each detailed industry) and medium performers at the 40-60 percentile of the productivity distribution. The composition of skills, especially the share of high skills, varies the most along the productivity distribution, but low and medium skilled employees make up a substantial share of the workforce even at the frontier. High skills show positive but decreasing productivity returns. Moreover, the skill mix of top firms varies markedly across countries, pointing to the role of different strategies pursued by firms in different policy environments. We also find that managerial skills play a particularly important role, also through complementarities with worker skills. Gender and cultural diversity among managers – and to a lesser extent, among workers – is positively related to firm productivity as well. We discuss public policies that can facilitate the catch-up of firms below the frontier through skills and diversity. These cover a wide range of areas, exerting their influence through three main channels: the supply, upgrading and the matching across firms (the SUM) of skills and other human factors.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 6
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (26 p.)
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.1682
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Online platform use has grown remarkably in the last decade. Despite this, our understanding of its implications for economic outcomes is scarce and often limited to case studies and advanced countries. Using a newly built harmonised international dataset of online platforms and their use across 43 countries, covering the 2013-18 period and seven areas of activity, we contribute to filling this gap. Specifically, we investigate whether and under which market conditions platform uptake leads to changes in incumbent firms’ productivity. We find that platform use increases labour productivity growth in firms operating in the same sector, and that this takes place through increases in value added growth as opposed to decreases in employment. What is more, productivity gains are greater for small firms and firms in the middle of the productivity distribution, suggesting that online platforms can play an important role in levelling the playing field between SMEs and large companies and in narrowing productivity gaps among firms. Finally, productivity gains are stronger in more dynamic platform markets. Our findings offer insights on factors and policies that can be leveraged to encourage platform development in ways that are beneficial for the economy.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 7
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 31 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD economic policy paper no. 26 (February 2019)
    Series Statement: OECD Economic Policy Papers no.26
    Keywords: Digitalisierung ; Informationstechnik ; Produktivitätsentwicklung ; Innovationsdiffusion ; Technologiepolitik ; Industriepolitik ; Qualifikation ; Wettbewerb ; OECD-Staaten ; Economics ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: This paper presents a range of policies to enhance adoption of digital technologies and firm productivity. It quantifies illustratively the effect of policy changes by combining the results of two recent OECD analyses on the drivers of adoption and their productivity benefits. Increasing access to high-speed internet, upgrading technical and managerial skills and implementing product and labour market reforms to facilitate the reallocation of resources in the economy are found to be the main factors supporting the efficient adoption of a selection of digital technologies. The most productive firms have benefitted relatively more from digitalisation in the past, contributing to a widening productivity gap with less productive firms. Policies should create the conditions for efficient adoption by less productive firms, which would help them to catch up, achieving a double dividend in terms of growth and inclusiveness. Enhancing skills has a key role to play in this area since less productive firms suffer relatively more from skill shortages.
    URL: Volltext  (lizenzpflichtig)
    URL: Volltext  (lizenzpflichtig)
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 8
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 80 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department working papers no. 1476
    Keywords: 2010 - 2016 ; Digitalisierung ; Technischer Fortschritt ; Innovationsdiffusion ; Produktivitätsentwicklung ; Qualifikation ; Europa ; Economics ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Insufficient diffusion of new technologies has been quoted as one possible reason for weak productivity performance over the past two decades (Andrews et al., 2016). This paper uses a novel data set of digital technology usage covering 25 industries in 25 European countries over the 2010-16 period to explore the drivers of digital adoption across two broad sets of digital technologies by firms, cloud computing and back or front office integration. The focus is on structural and policy factors affecting firms’ capabilities and incentives to adopt -- including the availability of enabling infrastructures (such as high-speed broadband internet), managerial quality and workers skills, and product, labour and financial market settings. We identify the effects of structural and policy factors based on the difference-in-difference approach pioneered by Rajan and Zingales (1998) and show that a number of these factors are statistically and economically significant for technology adoption. Specifically, we find strong support for the hypothesis that low managerial quality, lack of ICT skills and poor matching of workers to jobs curb digital technology adoption and hence the rate of diffusion. Similarly our evidence suggests that policies affecting market incentives are important for adoption, especially those relevant for market access, competition and efficient reallocation of labour and capital. Finally, we show that there are important complementarities between the two sets of factors, with market incentives reinforcing the positive effects of enhancements in firm capabilities on adoption of digital technologies
    Note: Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache
    URL: Volltext  (lizenzpflichtig)
    URL: Volltext  (lizenzpflichtig)
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 9
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (76 p.)
    Series Statement: OECD Working Papers on Fiscal Federalism no.01
    Keywords: Taxation
    Abstract: Against a background of mounting demands for spending on services provided by sub-central governments, this paper examines how fiscal rules can help to ensure that pressure on resources is minimised and available resources are used efficiently. Drawing on questionnaire responses and other sources, this paper gives a detailed picture of fiscal rules for sub-central governments in place among a number of OECD countries. The paper examines the rationales for using fiscal rules, the various impacts fiscal rules can have, the factors making for effective implementation and the interactions between the various types of rule. It then constructs a number of synthetic sub-indicators designed to assess the extent to which sub-central government fiscal frameworks exhibit favourable characteristics for the achievement of fiscal objectives. It concludes with the construction of a composite indicator based on the combined impacts in the different areas of fiscal policy.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 10
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 43 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department working papers no. 1412
    Keywords: Föderalismus ; Regionalentwicklung ; Soziale Ungleichheit ; Landwirtschaft ; Produktivitätsentwicklung ; Urbanisierung ; Indien ; Economics ; India ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Arbeitspapier ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: While India’s per capita income is converging towards that of the richer countries, inequality has drifted up. Spatial inequality – across states and between urban and rural areas – is pronounced, with large differences in output per capita and in access to core public services, such as electricity, roads, and education. Implementing the GST will contribute to reduce trade barriers across states while recent changes in the federalism model are empowering states and promoting experimentation. Prompting states to modernise product and labour market regulations should allow firms in the organised sector to reach an efficient size, and promote job creation and rising incomes in all states. Raising the living standards in poorer states would also require increasing productivity in the agricultural sector by supporting farm consolidation and improving infrastructure in rural areas, particularly roads that connect villages to market towns, crop storage infrastructure and access to sustainable irrigation technologies. As working population moves out of agriculture, urbanisation will gather pace. However, exploiting cities’ potential for job creation, productivity gains and improvement in the quality of life would require better physical and social urban infrastructure. Local spending and regulatory competences should be clarified. Performance of local bodies should be assessed regularly to make them accountable. Municipalities should also be granted clear revenue-raising power (in particular property taxes and user charges for urban infrastructure) to enable them to fund better public infrastructure and services.
    Note: Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache
    URL: Volltext  (kostenfrei)
    URL: Volltext  (kostenfrei)
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 11
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 52 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department working papers no. 1397
    Keywords: Auslandsinvestition ; Unternehmensbesteuerung ; Indien ; Economics ; India ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Arbeitspapier ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Business taxation in India is characterised by high effective tax rates, a narrow tax base, and an uncertain tax environment for potential investors. However, India has now begun a process of significant business tax reform, including a staged reduction of the corporate income tax rate and removal of a range of business tax concessions. This paper sets the scene for these (and further) reforms by examining the taxation of business income in India with a particular focus on its impact on the investment climate. The paper calculates corporate effective tax rates to highlight the impact of the tax system on investment incentives, investigates the narrowness of the current tax base and the proposed base-broadening reforms, and examines the degree of investor certainty as to the tax rules and their application. This Working Paper relates to the 2017 OECD Economic Survey of India (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-india.htm)
    Note: Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 12
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 38 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department working papers no. 1389
    Keywords: Steuersystem ; Finanzverwaltung ; Einkommensteuer ; Vermögensteuer ; Erbschaftsteuer ; Umverteilung ; Wirtschaftswachstum ; Indien ; Economics ; India ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Arbeitspapier ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: Tax reforms are crucial to promoting inclusive growth in India. The replacement of a myriad of consumption taxes by a Goods and Services Tax (GST) will boost India's competitiveness, investment, job creation and tax compliance. The potential to raise additional revenue from taxes on goods and services is however limited. In contrast, reforming income and property taxes should help to i) raise more revenue to finance much needed social and physical infrastructure while keeping public debt under control; ii) reduce inequality by increasing the redistributive effect of taxation; iii) promote productivity by reducing distortions in the allocation of resources which emanate from the corporate income tax; iv) boost job creation by eliminating the bias against labour-intensive activities; v) promote confidence, and thus investment, by improving clarity and certainty regarding tax rules and their application and vi) reinforce the ability of states and municipalities to provide key public infrastructure and services. This paper presents the main characteristics of the tax system as well as the rationale and options for reform.
    Note: Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 13
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (circa 19 Seiten) , Illustrationen
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department working papers no. 1400
    Keywords: Finanzpolitik ; Öffentliche Schulden ; Schuldenmanagement ; Nachhaltigkeit ; Indien ; Economics ; India ; Amtsdruckschrift ; Arbeitspapier ; Graue Literatur
    Abstract: In relation to GDP, India's public debt and interest payments are high compared with most other emerging economies and rating agencies have put India's sovereign debt at the lowest investment grade. On the other hand, India benefits from strong economic growth and needs to increase spending on social and physical infrastructure to support economic growth and to meet the needs of its fast-growing population. This paper assesses recent fiscal developments in India, discusses the threshold beyond which debt has adverse effects on the economy, quantifies the uncertainties surrounding key macroeconomic variables and the risks of overshooting the debt threshold to define a "prudent" debt level. It also provides a debt sustainability analysis. It concludes that under a "no-policy change" scenario, the debt-to-GDP ratio will decline gradually to close to the "prudent" level by 2040. However, adverse shocks could derail this benign scenario.
    Note: Zusammenfassung in französischer Sprache
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 14
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (32 p.)
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.1184
    Keywords: Social Issues/Migration/Health ; Economics ; India
    Abstract: With India’s low life expectancy largely reflecting deaths from preventable diseases, the most significant gains in health would come from population-wide preventive measures. Access to public health care services varies substantially, resulting in many people turning to private-sector providers who mainly serve those who can pay. While government has scaled up public health services, more health professionals and public health care spending will be needed to ensure broad and adequate health-care coverage. Priority should be given to high impact primary health care services. For more resources to translate into better services, the management of public health care services needs to improve. The private sector can be drawn upon more extensively, but should also be obliged to meet basic quality standards.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 15
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource (45 p.)
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.1183
    Keywords: Economics ; Industry and Services ; India
    Abstract: The manufacturing sector has contributed little to income growth and its share in total merchandise exports has been declining. Manufacturing has not brought much new employment, and most of the recent rise in manufacturing employment has been in the informal sector, where workers are not covered by social security arrangements. Productivity of the manufacturing sector is low, partly because the relatively small size of manufacturing firms makes it difficult to exploit economies of scale. Despite abundant, low-skilled and relatively cheap labour, Indian manufacturing is surprisingly capital and skill intensive. Furthermore, firms have little incentive to grow, since by staying small they can avoid taxes and complex labour regulations. Land acquisition is slow, companies face frequent power outages and transport infrastructure is below par. This is especially harmful as manufacturing is highly reliant on well-functioning infrastructure. Stronger manufacturing would increase productivity and make growth more inclusive, while contributing to improved current account balance. In particular, India should aim for more formal jobs, as these tend to be the most secure and of highest productivity.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 16
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD Journal: Economic Studies Vol. 2015, no. 1, p. 9-66 | volume:2015 | year:2015 | number:1 | pages:9-66
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (58 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Titel der Quelle: OECD Journal: Economic Studies
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2015, no. 1, p. 9-66
    Angaben zur Quelle: volume:2015
    Angaben zur Quelle: year:2015
    Angaben zur Quelle: number:1
    Angaben zur Quelle: pages:9-66
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper identifies and analyses some key challenges that OECD and partner economies may face over the coming 50 years if underlying global trends relating to growth, trade, inequality and environmental pressures prevail. It highlights the growing need for international policy coordination and cooperation in a number of areas. For example, global growth is likely to slow and become increasingly dependent on the diffusion of knowledge and technology, while the economic costs of environmental damages will mount. The rising economic importance of knowledge will tend to raise returns to skills, likely leading to further increases in earning inequalities within countries. While increases in pre-tax earnings do not automatically transform into rising income inequality, the ability of governments to cushion this impact may be limited, as rising trade integration and consequent rising mobility of tax bases combined with substantial fiscal pressures may hamper such efforts. The paper discusses to what extent national structural policies and heightened international cooperation can address these and other interlinked challenges over the coming 50 years. JEL classification: F, H, I2, I3, J1, O3, O4, Q5 Keywords: Global economy, growth, technological change, inequality, income distribution, immigration, environmental damages, climate change, tertiary education, fiscal consolidation, structural reforms, interdependence, co-ordination, projections
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 17
    Language: English
    Pages: 45 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.924
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 18
    Language: English
    Pages: 68 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.926
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 19
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD Journal: Economic Studies Vol. 2012, no. 1, p. 37-70 | volume:2012 | year:2012 | number:1 | pages:37-70
    Language: English
    Pages: 1 Online-Ressource (34 p.) , 21 x 28cm.
    Titel der Quelle: OECD Journal: Economic Studies
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2012, no. 1, p. 37-70
    Angaben zur Quelle: volume:2012
    Angaben zur Quelle: year:2012
    Angaben zur Quelle: number:1
    Angaben zur Quelle: pages:37-70
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Taxes and transfers reduce inequality in disposable income relative to market income. The effect varies, however, across OECD countries. The redistributive impact of taxes and transfers depends on the size, mix and the progressivity of each component. Some countries with a relatively small tax and welfare system (e.g. Australia) achieve the same redistributive impact as countries characterised by much higher taxes and transfers (e.g. Germany) because they rely more on income taxes, which are more progressive than other taxes, and on means-tested cash transfers. This article provides an assessment of the redistributive effect of the main taxes and cash transfers, based on various OECD data sources, a set of policy indicators and a literature review. Using cluster analysis, it also identifies empirically four groups of countries with tax and transfer systems that share broadly similar features.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 20
    Language: English
    Pages: 51 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.799
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: In this paper the recently updated product market regulation (PMR) indicators are extended to a larger set of countries including several non-OECD members. It investigates regulatory patterns in this extended set of countries as compared to the OECD countries and analyses the link between regulation and growth. On average, regulation is more restrictive of competition in non-member countries than in the OECD area. However, there exists considerable heterogeneity within this country grouping as concerns the level of the regulatory stance and its composition as well as the potential past evolution of regulatory processes. Furthermore, growth regressions provide evidence that less restrictive product market regulation is conducive to growth. An improvement of ½ index points of barriers to entrepreneurship would translate into approximately a 0.4% higher average annual rate of GDP per capita growth. However, the results also suggest that for countries that are less advanced, the potential growth benefits of enhancing product market competition may be impaired by other structural weaknesses. In particular, some restrictions of foreign trade and investment might be beneficial for growth in early stages of development.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 21
    Language: English
    Pages: 71 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.774
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper proposes an analytical framework for assessing policies that will contribute to a better integration of environmental externalities in the pursuit of economic efficiency and growth objectives. The framework consists of two parts. The first part lays out principles and criteria for the identification and selection of policies that will benefit both income and the environment or that will boost income at the least cost in terms of the environment (and vice-versa). In general putting a price on a pollution source or on the over-exploitation of a scarce resource is found to be the most efficient single policy to address many environment externalities. However, given that environmental damage often result from several interacting market failures, an appropriate policy response will in many cases involve a mix of complementary instruments. The second part focuses more on issues of structural adjustment related to the transition towards a greener economy. It finds that green growth policies could lead to significant re-allocation of resources within and across broad economic sectors. A policy framework facilitating the re-deployment of labour across firms and sectors, as well as the entry of new firms and the exit of firms in declining industries will thus be important in order for countries to seize the opportunities brought about by green growth policies.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 22
    Language: English
    Pages: 133 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.769
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper presents a set of indicators to assess health care system performance. It also presents new comparative data on health care policies and institutions for OECD countries. This set of indicators allows the empirical characterisation of health care systems and the identification of groups of countries sharing similar health institutions. It also helps to uncover strengths and weaknesses of each country’s health care system and assessing the scope for improving value-for-money. The empirical analysis suggests that there is room in all countries surveyed to improve the effectiveness of health care spending; there is no health care system that performs systematically better in delivering cost-effective health care – big-bang reforms are therefore not warranted; increasing the coherence of policy settings, by adopting best policy practices within a similar system and borrowing the most appropriate elements from other systems will likely be more practical and effective to raise health care spending efficiency.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 23
    Language: English
    Pages: 59 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.791
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Based on an endogenous growth model, we show that intermediate goods markets imperfections can curb incentives to improve productivity downstream. We confirm such prediction by estimating a model of multifactor productivity growth in which the effects of upstream competition vary with distance to frontier on a panel of 15 OECD countries and 20 sectors over 1985-2007. Competitive pressures are proxied with sectoral product market regulation data. We find evidence that anticompetitive upstream regulations have curbed MFP growth over the past 15 years, more strongly so for observations that are close to the productivity frontier.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 24
    Language: English
    Pages: 62 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.695
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper describes patterns and developments of regulation that potentially affect product market competition in OECD countries over the past decade. It uses the 2008 update and revision of the OECD indicators of product market regulation (PMR) that integrate to a larger extent than in the past information on sector-specific regulation and adapt a simpler and more transparent aggregation technique. The results show that OECD countries have extensively liberalised product markets over the past ten years and – as a consequence - convergence of regulation across OECD countries can be observed. However, reforms appear to have slowed in the most recent period (2003-2008) as compared with the earlier period (1998- 2003). Easing of product market regulation appears to have been driven to a considerable extent by reforms in sector-specific regulation, notably as regards the gas, electricity and telecommunications markets. Countries appear also to have followed consistent reform approaches. However, scope for further reform remains, especially as regards controls of governments over businesses, and as regards certain sectors such as professional services and retail trade.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 25
    Language: English
    Pages: 68 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.616
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 26
    Language: English
    Pages: 34 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.642
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Frequent recourse to large one-off operations in a number of OECD countries has undermined the accuracy of cyclically adjusted fiscal balances as a measure of both the sustainability of public finance and the fiscal stance. This paper first provides detailed information on the nature and amount of these one-offs for 9 OECD countries. The paper then presents a new indicator – the “underlying” fiscal balance – which effectively eliminates the impact of one-offs and cyclical developments. One-offs are derived as the deviations from trend in net capital transfers, i.e. from widely available national account data. This approach provides a consistent treatment of one-offs both across countries and over time, avoiding the potential information biases which could result from an individual identification of one-offs.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 27
    Language: English
    Pages: 75 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.627
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper aims to shed light on the contribution of health care and other determinants to the health status of the population and to provide evidence on whether or not health care resources are producing similar value for money across OECD countries. First, it discusses the pros and cons of various indicators of the health status, concluding that mortality and longevity indicators have some drawbacks but remain the best available proxies. Second, it suggests that changes in health care spending, lifestyle factors (smoking and alcohol consumption as well as diet), education, pollution and income have been important factors behind improvements in health status. Third, it derives estimates of countries’ relative performance in transforming health care resources into longevity from two different methods – panel data regressions and data envelopment analysis – which give remarkably consistent results. The empirical estimates suggest that potential efficiency gains might be large enough to raise life expectancy at birth by almost three years on average for OECD countries, while a 10% increase in total health spending would increase life expectancy by three to four months.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 28
    Language: English
    Pages: 35 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.655
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The financial crisis and economic downturn are going to weigh on fiscal positions in OECD countries over the short to medium-term, both through the operation of automatic stabilisers and the enactment of discretionary fiscal stimulus packages. However, the strategic policy options facing OECD countries are mainly determined by the soundness of their underlying fiscal positions which vary substantially. This paper first describes how OECD economies are situated with respect to underlying fiscal balances and net government debt. A number of countries seem to enjoy favourable fiscal positions with underlying fiscal surpluses, low government debt or even positive net financial asset positions. When taking account, as far as possible, of implicit liabilities associated with ageing populations and resource-based revenues, fiscal positions still vary greatly across countries. The paper then examines the criteria involved in deciding whether government financial asset accumulation is in excess of needs and the use to which any excess government saving might be put, whether increasing public spending or reducing taxes. Finally, the determinants of the optimal size of the government balance sheet for any given desired net debt position are discussed.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 29
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 17 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.598
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Tax receipts surged between 2005 and 2007 in many OECD countries, resulting in significant improvements in headline fiscal positions. As a consequence, pressures for tax cuts and for public spending increases have emerged. In the past, responding to such demands has permanently weakened budget positions as revenue windfalls ultimately proved to be temporary. Hence, the opportunity to address structural deficit problems and prepare for future demographic trends has been lost, and the ability to respond to subsequent cyclical downturns has been weakened. This paper provides an analysis of the factors behind recent revenue buoyancy and examines past responses to unexpected revenue gains. It also discusses whether improved information on fiscal positions and future fiscal challenges, combined with relevant fiscal rules, might help in avoiding a repetition of past errors in fiscal policy.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 30
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2006, no. 2, p. 39-76
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 47 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Réglementation des marchés de produits et convergence de la productivité
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2006, no. 2, p. 39-76
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Product market regulation in the OECD area has generally become less restrictive of competition over recent years. This has lead to a degree of convergence in regulatory policies, but nonetheless, the productivity performance of OECD countries has become increasingly disparate. Indeed, according to some measures, the growth rates and levels of labour productivity have recently begun to diverge. Recent developments in the theory and empirics of growth suggest that cross-country productivity patterns may partly reflect differences in the policy and institutional environment (Acemoglu et al., 2004; Aghion and Griffith, 2005; Nicoletti and Scarpetta, 2003).
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 31
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2006, no. 1, p. 87-136
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 59 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Analyse empirique des facteurs d'économie politique influant sur les réformes structurelles dans l'OCDE
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2006, no. 1, p. 87-136
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper was originally prepared for the OECD Working Party No. 1 under the authority of the OECD’s Economic Policy Committee. Jens Høj and Giuseppe Nicoletti work for the OECD Economics Department as a senior economist in the Country Studies Branch and as Head of the Structural Policy Analysis Division 1, respectively. Vincenzo Galasso is an Associate Professor of Economics at Università Bocconi in Italy and Thai-Thang Dang is a private sector consultant. The authors wish to thank Jean Philippe Cotis, Jørgen Elmeskov, Michael P. Feiner, Christopher Heady, Nick Johnstone and many other colleagues in the OECD Economics Department as well as representatives from OECD member countries for useful comments on a previous version of the paper.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 32
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2006, no. 2, p. 7-38
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 41 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. La fiscalité et l'environnement des entreprises comme déterminants des investissements directs étrangers
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2006, no. 2, p. 7-38
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: How important are differences in corporate taxation for the investment decisions of multinational enterprises (MNEs)? Over the past decade, interest in this issue has been growing in parallel with the increasing mobility of capital and internationalisation of businesses. Standard models of the MNEs predict that corporate taxation can influence foreign direct investment (FDI) by creating a wedge between the pre- and post-tax returns on investment. The relevant tax wedge, however, depends on whether MNEs’ investment is incremental or involves the creation of entirely new plants.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 33
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal on budgeting Vol. 7, no. 1, p. 1-41
    ISSN: 1681-2336
    Language: English
    Pages: 42 p
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal on budgeting
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 7, no. 1, p. 1-41
    Keywords: Governance
    Abstract: This article examines key institutional drivers that may contribute to improving public sector efficiency and focuses on one of them in more detail: performance information and its role and use in the budget process (“performance budgeting”).
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 34
    Language: English
    Pages: 51 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.543
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper presents composite indicators of the institutional and policy characteristics of educational systems, collated from the questionnaire responses of 26 Member countries. These indicators provide an overview of the institutional framework in the primary and secondary education sector and are constructed so as to be used for the analysis of international differences in spending efficiency. The key features of the institutional setting in the non-tertiary education sector are grouped under three headings: i) the ability to prioritise and allocate resources efficiently (through decentralisation and mechanisms matching resources to specific needs); ii) the efficiency in managing spending at the local level (through outcome-focused policies and managerial autonomy), and iii) the efficiency in service provision (through benchmarking and user choice). For each country, an intermediate indicator is computed for each of these six institutional properties. Composite indicators then combine the six intermediate indicators of spending efficiency into a single, aggregate measure. Results are presented and some of their implications are discussed. Overall, the characteristics of the institutional framework in the non-tertiary public education sector seem to be very favourable, compared to OECD average, in the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, whereas results are less favourable for the Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg, Japan, Turkey, Hungary, Belgium (French speaking community), Switzerland and Austria.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 35
    Language: English
    Pages: 78 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.575
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Based on 18 country reviews performed over the 2003-2005 period, this paper examines, the cross-country differences in policy approaches to product market competition and their consequences for product market rents. Against this background, the paper summarises OECD recommendations to further strengthen competition in various sectors and areas. These include: removing remaining barriers to trade and inward foreign direct investments; better securing deterrence of cartels through effective sanctions; facilitate market access to inherently competitive industries by easing zoning laws (the retail sector), abolishing reserved monopolies (sales of tobacco and alcohol), limiting the scope of trade associations’ self-regulation and easing residency or nationality requirements (professional services); meet competition challenges in network industries by facilitating the effective separation of monopoly components from competitive activities, reducing public ownership, clearly separating the government’s ownership and regulatory functions and creating the right incentives for investing in infrastructures.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 36
    Language: English
    Pages: 67 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.546
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper assesses the potential to raise public spending efficiency in the primary and secondary education sector. Resource availability per pupil has increased significantly over the past decade in a number of countries; often in attempting to exploit the link between educational attainment and growth. However, available evidence reveals only a weak correlation between increased resource availability and pupil performance. In order to draw cross-country comparisons...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 37
    Language: English
    Pages: 39 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.554
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: A key policy challenge in most OECD countries is to improve outcomes of the health care system while containing its costs. Benchmarking countries and identifying best practices to enhance public spending cost-effectiveness would, in this regard, be a useful exercise. This paper presents three main options for measuring effectiveness in the health care sector, discusses their pros and cons, including data availability and the possibility of whether these options would allow an analysis of how the institutional setting shapes spending effectiveness.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 38
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2005, no. 2, p. 141-181
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 51 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Les règles budgétaires s'appliquant aux collectivités territoriales
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2005, no. 2, p. 141-181
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Rules constraining the discretionary powers of budget policymakers have become widespread among OECD economies, and the expanding role played by decentralised institutions in providing public services has led to their increasing adoption at the sub-central level.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 39
    Language: English
    Pages: 30 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.502
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper assesses the importance of taxation on foreign direct investment contributing to the literature in two ways. First, it relates bilateral FDI among OECD countries over the 1990s to a new set of estimates of corporate tax wedges that include many relevant aspects of FDI taxation. Second, it controls for a large set of additional policy and non-policy factors that may affect the attractiveness of a country for foreign investors. Furthermore, the empirical approach is novel in that it focuses on a semi-parametric estimation methodology that accounts for a number of unobserved effects possibly impinging on the choice of investment location by multinational enterprises. Consistent with previous findings, the estimation results suggest that corporate taxation has a non-negligible impact on FDI location choices. However, the results suggest that focusing only on taxation in home and host countries and omitting other policies (such as border policies and labour and product market settings) may lead to a serious overestimation of tax elasticities and their relevance for policy.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 40
    Language: English
    Pages: 65 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.530
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Product market regulation in the non-manufacturing sectors of OECD countries: measurement and highlights This paper describes a new set of indicators that measure differences in the regulation of non-manufacturing sectors of OECD countries over the past three decades. The indicators focus on regulations that affect competitive pressures in areas where competition is economically viable and on the potential costs that these regulations entail for economic activities that use the output of regulated sectors as intermediate inputs in production. The paper illustrates the methodology used to compute the indicators and the patterns of product market regulation and regulatory reform that emerge from the analysis. The robustness of results is assessed in three ways: comparing the indicators to other available data covering the same areas; computing confidence intervals around the indicator values; and listing econometric results obtained by linking the indicators to measures of competition and economic performance.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 41
    Language: English
    Pages: 53 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.509
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of product market regulations on the international diffusion of productivity shocks. The empirical results indicate that restrictive product market regulations slow the process of adjustment through which best practice production techniques diffuse across borders and new technologies are incorporated into the production process. This suggest that remaining cross-country differences in product market regulation can partially explain the recent observed divergence of productivity in OECD countries, given the emergence of new general-purpose technologies over the 1990s. The paper also investigates two channels through which product market regulations might affect the international diffusion of productivity shocks, namely the adoption of information and communications technology and the location decisions of multi-national enterprises. In both cases the effect of anticompetitive product market regulation is found to be negative and significant.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 42
    Language: English
    Pages: 78 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.501
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: In an empirical investigation, the paper identifies the main political economy drivers of structural policy changes in OECD countries' labour and product markets over the 1985-2003 and 1973-2003 periods respectively. Some of the drivers are beyond the control of governments (i.e., that are exogenous to the political process) while there are others over which governments may have some leverage. The core empirical results, based on a set of policy indicators that cover 21 countries, suggest that the former set of factors has an important influence on the implementation of structural reform, including economic crises, exposure to foreign competition, and government?s duration in office. Nonetheless, the latter set of factors, including budgetary conditions and spillovers across policy areas -- in particular from the product to the labour market -- is also important to both initiate and sustain reforms.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 43
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 47 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.453
    Keywords: Economics ; Mexico
    Abstract: Enhanced autonomy of sub-national governments has spurred innovative management. Spending assignments across levels of government, however, often overlap and/or are not yet fully understood by most citizens. Sub-national governments’ accountability is further reduced by the heavy reliance on federal transfers, as opposed to own-revenues (taxes and user fees). In addition, the use of federal transfers as collateral for states' borrowing potentially undermines the role of financial markets in disciplining fiscal behaviour. Getting the most out of decentralisation would thus require a national agreement clarifying responsibilities for each level of government. Improving sub-national governments’ incentives in delivering cost-effective public services would further require improving the quality of information on actual spending and outcomes, raising the volume of their own taxes and reforming the grant systems. Decentralisation should also be more consistent with the aim of improving interregional equity in obtaining access to core public services. This Working Paper relates to the 2005 OECD Economic Survey of Mexico (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/mexico).
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 44
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 48 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.436
    Keywords: Economics ; Spain
    Abstract: In about two decades, Spain was transformed from one of the most centralised countries to one of the most decentralised. Spending functions were devolved rapidly. The regions have exercised their discretionary powers quite extensively and innovative policies have been implemented. But devolution was also accompanied by a hike in public employment and pressures on public spending, reflecting duplication in resources and poor co-ordination across and between government levels. The recent devolution of taxing powers could raise the accountability of the regions and, thus, cost-consciousness, although their effective use has been limited. Securing fiscal discipline would require better information on sub-national governments’ policies and outcomes so as to allow citizens to press for improved performance. The financing system of the regions also needs to be reformed to ensure sustainability in the face of changing demographics, while the fiscal rules need to be upgraded to avoid recourse to off-budget operations. This Working Paper relates to the 2005 OECD Economic Survey of Spain (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/spain).
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 45
    Language: English
    Pages: 41 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.460
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper assesses the implications of past and ongoing reforms in OECD product markets for the labour productivity gap, a key component of cross-country differences in GDP per capita. After a brief review of the theoretical literature, we bring together the results obtained in some of our empirical work over the past few years, discussing econometric approaches and their drawbacks. We then use these results to gauge the likely effect of further reforms. We distinguish effects on capital deepening and technical progress by examining the impact of regulations on investment (domestic and foreign) and multi-factor productivity. We focus on the effects of policies aimed at strengthening private governance (e.g. through privatization) and opening up access to markets where competition is economically viable. The results suggest that pro-competitive reforms tend to increase both investment and multifactor productivity and, through both these channels, they can lead to higher growth in GDP per capita.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 46
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 50 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.472
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: We estimate the employment effects of product market reforms aimed at increasing competitive pressures and easing government controls in a sample of OECD countries over the past two decades. We control for several labour market policies and institutions that are thought to influence equilibrium employment rates, and check whether there are interactions between these policies and product market reforms. We find cross-country evidence that some labour and product market policies may be complementary and adjust for this in regressions. Consistent with the implications of the imperfect competition/bargaining model of Blanchard and Giavazzi (2003), our estimates suggest that restrictive regulations have curbed employment rates significantly in countries where no product market reforms were implemented. These effects appear to have been magnified by the interaction of such regulations with labour market settings that provide a strong bargaining power to insiders, suggesting that rent sharing tends to depress employment. The implication is that significant employment gains can be obtained by deregulating product markets in overly regulated countries. Moreover, these employment gains are likely to be higher in countries that have rigid labour markets.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 47
    Language: English
    Pages: 49 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.416
    Keywords: Economics ; Japan
    Abstract: Revamping fiscal relations across levels of government is of paramount importance in supporting fiscal consolidation and public sector effectiveness. This paper analyses a number of problems, including regulations that limit local governments’ ability to innovate and respond to local citizens’ preferences, the inefficient system of intergovernmental grants, the complex structure of local taxes and fiscal rules which are too lenient to secure fiscal discipline. The paper concludes that the grant system should be reformed to promote local governments’ incentives to introduce innovations so as to better respond to needs at lower cost. Barriers to the effective use of sub-national governments’ taxing powers should be removed while efforts should be made to keep the tax system as simple and neutral as possible. Existing fiscal rules and market instruments should be hardened. This would require that the central government state clearly that it will not intervene as a lender of last ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 48
    Language: English
    Pages: 62 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.419
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper describes trends in product market regulation in OECD countries over the period 1998 to 2003. The analysis is based on summary indicators of product market regulation that measure the degree to which policies promote or inhibit competition. The results suggest that regulatory impediments to competition have declined in all OECD countries in recent years. Regulation has also become more homogenous across the OECD as countries with relatively restrictive policies have, in some areas, moved towards the regulatory environment of the more liberalized countries. Within some countries product market policies have become more consistent across different regulatory provisions, although relatively restrictive countries still tend to have a more heterogeneous approach to competition. In general, domestic barriers to competition tend to be higher in countries that have higher barriers to foreign trade and investment, and high levels of state control and barriers to competition ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 49
    Language: English
    Pages: 77 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.465
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Against a background of mounting demands for spending on services provided by sub-central governments, this paper examines how fiscal rules can help to ensure that pressure on resources is minimised and available resources are used efficiently. Drawing on questionnaire responses and other sources, this paper gives a detailed picture of fiscal rules for sub-central governments in place among a number of OECD countries. The paper examines the rationales for using fiscal rules, the various impacts fiscal rules can have, the factors making for effective implementation and the interactions between the various types of rule. It then constructs a number of synthetic sub-indicators designed to assess the extent to which sub-central government fiscal frameworks exhibit favourable characteristics for the achievement of fiscal objectives. It concludes with the construction of a composite indicator based on the combined impacts in the different areas of fiscal policy.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 50
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2003, no. 2, p. 109-161
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 55 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Améliorer le rapport coût-efficacité des dépenses publiques : L'expérience des pays de l'OCDE
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2003, no. 2, p. 109-161
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: In most OECD countries, public spending rose steadily as a share of GDP over the past decades to the mid-1990s, but this trend has since abated. The spending pressures stemming from the continued expansion of social programmes have been partly compensated by transient or one-off factors. Pressures on public spending, however, appear likely to intensify, in particular as a consequence of ageing populations. Since most OECD economies have very little scope for raising taxation or debt to finance higher spending, reforms to curb the growth in public spending while raising its cost effectiveness are now required. Based on detailed country reviews for over two-thirds of OECD countries, this paper identifies three main areas for action: the budget process; management practices; and the use of market mechanisms in the delivery of public services ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 51
    Language: English
    Pages: 53 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.380
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: In most OECD countries, public spending rose steadily as a share of GDP over the past decades to the mid-1990s, but this trend has since abated. The spending pressures stemming from the continued expansion of social programmes have been partly compensated by transient or one-off factors. Pressures on public spending, however, appear likely to intensify, in particular as a consequence of ageing populations. Since most OECD economies have very little scope for raising taxation or debt to finance higher spending, reforms to curb the growth in public spending while raising its cost effectiveness are now required. This paper presents a reform strategy for progress in this direction, based on detailed country reviews for over twothirds of OECD countries. Three main areas for action are identified: the budget process; management practices and the use of market mechanisms in the delivery of public services ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 52
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2002, no. 1, p. 91-151
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 72 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Les systèmes fiscaux des pays de l'Union européenne
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2002, no. 1, p. 91-151
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Despite recent cuts, the tax-to-GDP ratio in most EU countries remains much higher than in other economies. The tax mix is also different, with high tax wedges on labour and a stronger reliance on consumption and environmentally related taxes. While there is not much room for cutting taxes significantly without downsizing public spending, further re-balancing the tax burden away from labour could contribute to better employment performance. Greater reliance on property taxes, which are low by international standards, less use of reduced VAT rates and tax incentives targeted to specific saving vehicles should be considered. EU countries’ experience in reforming their tax system may also provide useful insights for other regions where international integration is deepening. The free movement of goods, people and capital within the EU area, combined with the advent of the single currency, has also affected the design of national tax systems and has brought to the fore a number of international taxation issues.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 53
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 11-98
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 103 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Mise en oeuvre et effets de la réforme de la réglementation : Leçons à tirer et problématique actuelle
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 11-98
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This article reviews trends, outcomes and issues in regulatory reform in OECD countries. First, it summarises the evidence on the evolution of regulatory environments and the economy-wide and sectoral effects of reforms (including privatisation) in both competitive and non-competitive industries in the past two decades. Turning to network industries, it then discusses the main policy issues raised by the need to adapt the regulation of the non-competitive segments of these industries to increasing competition in liberalised markets. It focuses on four topics that dominate the debate over regulatory reform: i) the move from command-and-control to incentivebased regulatory approaches relying on the removal of entry barriers in competitive markets, the adoption of price-cap mechanisms and the design of efficient and competitively-neutral charges for accessing the fixed networks of incumbents; ii) the pros and cons of structural measures such as privatisation, and vertical and horizontal separation of formerly integrated monopolies; iii) the ways to ensure that important non-economic objectives, such as universality of service, continue to be achieved in a more competitive environment at a minimum cost for society; and iv) the design of regulatory mechanisms and institutions that encourage best practice regulation.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 54
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2003, no. 1, p. 7-83
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 80 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. L'influence des politiques sur les échanges et l'investissement direct étranger
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2003, no. 1, p. 7-83
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper assesses the importance of border and non-border policies for global economic integration. The focus is on four widely-advocated policies: removing explicit restrictions to trade and FDI; promoting domestic competition; improving the adaptability of labour markets; and ensuring adequate levels of infrastructure capital. The analysis covers FDI and trade in both goods and services, thus aiming to account for the most important channels of globalisation and dealing with most modes of cross-border services supply. The results highlight that, despite extensive liberalisation over the past two decades, there is scope for further reducing policy barriers to integration of OECD markets. Remaining barriers have a significant impact on bilateral trade and FDI, with anticompetitive domestic regulations and restrictive labour market arrangements estimated to curb integration as much as explicit trade and FDI restrictions. Simulating the removal of such barriers suggests that the quantitative effects of further liberalisation of trade, FDI and domestic product and labour markets on global integration could be substantial...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 55
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2003, no. 1, p. 155-229
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 78 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Les relations financières entre l'État et les collectivités locales
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2003, no. 1, p. 155-229
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Despite its apparent advantages, devolution of fiscal responsibilities has not proceeded evenly over the past two decades. Decentralisation can strengthen the democratic process, allow governments to tailor the supply of public goods to local preferences and introduce some competition across jurisdictions, thus raising public sector efficiency. It can, however, entail efficiency losses and make it difficult to implement redistributive policies. On the spending side, local provision may fail to exploit economies of scale and internalise territorial spillovers – a serious issue since few public goods are purely local by nature. On the revenue side, few tax bases can be exploited by sub-national governments without risking making national objectives difficult to achieve and raising serious distributive concerns. This paper, which is largely based on country experiences in mitigating the potential drawbacks of decentralisation while obtaining most of its benefits, provides a framework for assessing fiscal relations across levels of government...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 56
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 99-142
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 59 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Le secteur des télécommunications : Réglementation, structure du marché et performance
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 99-142
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The paper uses an international database on regulation, market structure and performance in the telecommunications industry to investigate the effects of entry liberalisation and privatisation on productivity, prices and quality of service in long-distance (domestic and international) and mobile cellular telephony services in 23 OECD countries over the 1991-1997 period. The data on regulation and market structure is analysed by means of factor analysis techniques in order to group countries according to their policy and market environments. Controlling for technology developments and differences in economic structure, panel data estimates show that prospective competition (as proxied by the number of years remaining to liberalisation) and effective competition (as proxied by the share of new entrants or by the number of competitors) both bring about productivity and quality improvements and reduce the prices of all the telecommunications services considered in the analysis. No clear evidence could be found concerning the effects on performance of the ownership structure of the industry (as proxied by both the public share in the public telecommunications operators and years remaining to privatisation).
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 57
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 253-274
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 37 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. La réforme de la réglementation dans le secteur de la distribution de détail
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 253-274
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to analyse cross-country differences in the regulation of the retail distribution industry in the OECD area, focusing on the situation in 1998. Regulatory differences are cast against changes in the industry environment to highlight the potential interactions between regulation and market forces. A number of countries have extensively liberalised market access and price and service regulations. In some countries there is currently a tendency to introduce access restrictions for large outlets. In other countries market access has been traditionally hindered by restrictive regulations and administrative burdens. The available empirical evidence suggests that regulations that restrict shop opening hours and hinder access by imposing special requirements for outlet registration, siting and/or size thresholds curb the dynamism of the industry (e.g. lowering entry and exit rates, and preventing restructuring and modernisation) and competitive pressures, leading to lower employment growth and higher consumer prices.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 58
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 183-227
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 60 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. Le transport aérien de passagers : Réglementation, structure du marché et performance
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 183-227
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The paper uses a data base on regulation, market structure and performance in the air passenger transportation industry, to analyse the links among liberalisation, private ownership, competition, efficiency and airfares at national and route levels. Covering the 1996-97 travel season, 21 aggregate indicators have been developed for 27 OECD countries, and 23 micro indicators for 102 air routes connecting 14 major international airports. These data are summarised by means of factor analysis. Controlling for market size, network length and other technological and economic differences, and combining national and route-level characteristics, cross-country and cross-route regressions show that i) productive efficiency increases and fares decline when regulations and market structures become more friendly to competition; ii) productive efficiency is sensitive to actual competitive pressures, as proxied by market concentration; iii) fares react to liberalisation independently from market structure, but in liberal environments their decline is amplified by actual competition between carriers; iv) business and economy fares tend to decline when they are liberalised and market concentration is reduced, but tend to increase when markets are dominated by airline alliances on the route; v) discount fares are affected by the overall market environment at route ends, charter regulations and the actual presence of challenger airlines on the route; and vi) airport congestion and dominance tend to increase fares in time-sensitive market segments.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 59
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    In:  OECD journal: economic studies Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 229-251
    ISSN: 1995-2856
    Language: English
    Pages: 38 p
    Parallel Title: Parallelausg. La réforme de la réglementation dans le secteur du transport routier de marchandises
    Titel der Quelle: OECD journal: economic studies
    Publ. der Quelle: Paris : Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2008
    Angaben zur Quelle: Vol. 2001, no. 1, p. 229-251
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This study analyses regulatory developments across OECD Member countries in the road freight industry, with a focus on how these developments have affected competition and performance. Over the past two decades, a growing number of OECD countries have recognised that regulations unduly restricting competitive developments in this industry needed to be relaxed. Still, the pace and scale of liberalisation has varied widely from one country to another. The main remaining impediment to competition is the restrictive web of bilateral international and/or multilateral agreements that continue to impose discrimination on foreign hauliers. The empirical evidence available suggests that liberalisation has promoted efficiency and consumer welfare in the countries that have implemented reforms.
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 60
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 66 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.347
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: In this paper, we relate the scope and depth of regulatory reforms to growth outcomes in OECD countries. By means of a new set of quantitative indicators of regulation, we show that the cross-country variation of regulatory settings has increased in recent years, despite extensive liberalisation and privatisation in the OECD area. We then look at the regulation-growth linkage using data that cover a large set of manufacturing and service industries over the past two decades. We focus on multifactor productivity (MFP), which plays a crucial role in GDP growth and accounts for a significant share of its cross-country variance. We find evidence that reforms promoting private governance and competition (where these are viable) tend to boost productivity. Both privatisation and entry liberalisation are estimated to have a positive impact on productivity. In manufacturing the gains are greater the further a given country is from the technology leader, suggesting that regulation limiting ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 61
    Language: English
    Pages: 42 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.352
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: One commonly held view about the difference between continental European countries and other OECD countries, especially the United States, is that the heavy regulation of Europe reduces its growth. Using newly assembled data on regulation in several sectors of many OECD countries, we provide substantial and robust evidence that various measures of regulation in the product market, concerning in particular entry barriers, are negatively related to investment. The implications of our analysis are clear: regulatory reforms, especially those that liberalise entry, are very likely to spur investment ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 62
    Language: English
    Pages: 127 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.359
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper assesses the importance of border and non-border policies for global economic integration. The focus is on four widely-advocated policies: removing explicit restrictions to trade and FDI; promoting domestic competition; improving the adaptability of labour markets; and ensuring adequate levels of infrastructure capital. The analysis covers FDI and trade in both goods and services, thus aiming to account for the most important channels of globalisation and dealing with most modes of cross-border services supply. It first describes trends in trade, FDI and the four sets of policies using a large set of structural policy indicators recently constructed by the OECD, including the new summary indicators for FDI-specific regulations described in Golub (2003). It then estimates the impact of policies on bilateral trade and bilateral and multilateral FDI. The results highlight that, despite extensive liberalisation over the past two decades, there is scope for further reducing ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 63
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 64 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.375
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Despite its apparent advantages, devolution of fiscal responsibilities has not proceeded evenly over the past two decades. Decentralisation can strengthen the democratic process, allow governments to tailor the supply of public goods to local preferences and introduce some competition across jurisdictions, thus raising public sector efficiency. It can, however, entail efficiency losses, and make it difficult to implement redistributive policies and complicate macroeconomic management. On the spending side, local provision may fail to exploit economies of scale and internalise territorial spillovers -- a serious issue since few public goods are purely local by nature. On the revenue side, few tax bases can be exploited by subnational governments without risking making national objectives difficult to achieve and raising serious distributive concerns. This paper, which is largely based on country experiences in mitigating the potential drawbacks of decentralisation while obtaining ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 64
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 54 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.343
    Keywords: Economics ; Norway
    Abstract: Public spending is very high in Norway, partly reflecting an extensive coverage of the welfare system and ambitious regional development objectives. Moreover, several institutional features contribute to dampening the cost-effectiveness of many public-spending programmes. Abundant oil revenues have so far mitigated strains on public finance. However, coping with the depletion of oil resources and the fiscal consequences of ageing would require to increase the cost-effectiveness of many public spending programmes, while leaving some room to cut the high tax-to-GDP ratio. This paper identifies the main sources of inefficiencies and suggests policy options. These include: supplementing the existing deficit rule by an expenditure rule; increasing flexibility in public sector wages and job tenure; reforming the funding system of local governments; raising the contestability of public service provision; intensifying the use of price signals and improving incentives to reduce the ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 65
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 45 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.332
    Keywords: Economics ; Switzerland
    Abstract: Switzerland is a highly decentralised country with large spending and revenue-raising powers devolved to cantons and municipalities. The federal system, in combination with an extensive use of direct democracy, has contributed to keep public spending at a relatively low level in international comparison. It has also made it possible to tailor the provision of public services to citizens’ needs and willingness to pay and to experiment with a variety of policies. At the same time, several tensions have emerged and effective control of spending deteriorated during the 1990s. After identifying these tensions, this paper reviews recent policy initiatives and proposes options for further enhancing public spending effectiveness. These entail implementing a new fiscal rule which will allow the free play of the automatic stabilisers at the federal level and ensuring its consistency with other government levels’ behaviour; increasing transparency in public spending costs and ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 66
    Language: English
    Pages: 34 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.318
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Using new cross-country data on industry-specific product market regulations, this paper investigates the relationship between wage premia and some of the policy determinants of product market rents. Hourly wage premia in 2-digit manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries are estimated from detailed data on wage earnings in (or around) 1996 by category of worker (age, sex, education and type of contract) in 12 European and North-American countries. The effects of regulation on these wage premia are estimated by panel data regression techniques. We find that product market regulation restricting competition has a significant positive impact on wage premia in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries. However, in the latter industries, this effect is offset by a negative effect of legal public monopolies on wage premia. Since public ownership per se shows no relation to premia, we interpret this result as evidence of either a low-productivity trap due to x-inefficiency ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 67
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 53 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.319
    Keywords: Economics ; Finland
    Abstract: This paper reviews the Finnish tax system and the scope for further tax reform. Finland is among the most egalitarian countries in the OECD and a high tax burden is required to finance the associated public spending. Nevertheless, capital and corporate income taxation was substantially and effectively reformed in the early 1990s, through significant rate cuts cum base broadening measures. But, despite income tax cuts since the mid-1990s, high taxes, especially on labour income, still hamper growth potential and distort economic behaviour. In this respect, the poor performance of the Finnish labour market is revealing. Tax reforms have a major role to play in improving the long-term performance of the Finnish economy. Though the scope is limited, the tax burden should be shifted as much as possible from labour to property and consumption, while the earned-income tax allowance should play a smaller role, enabling cuts in statutory rates. Redesigning social security contributions to ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 68
    Language: English
    Pages: 111 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.312
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper analyses several of the cross-market effects of policies aimed at influencing outcomes in product and labour markets. Focusing on subsets of OECD countries, we look at the implications of product market competition for industry wages and overall employment, and the implications of labour market arrangements for industrial structure and innovation potential. We also look at the potential implications of regulatory reform for employment security and income inequality. We provide empirical evidence on long-run policy interactions by exploiting the cross-country and intersectoral dimensions of the data, though the analysis of employment uses also the time-series dimension. To this end, we rely on a large set of indicators of (economy-wide) labour market policies and institutions and (economy-wide, industry-specific and time-varying) product market regulations. We find that: (a) anticompetitive product market regulations have significant negative effects on non-agricultural ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 69
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 47 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.287
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The paper looks at patterns of regulation in service industries and explores their implications for service performance. Focusing on restrictions to market mechanisms, a map of the state of service regulation in OECD countries is provided, based on data recently collected and summarised by the OECD. The paper also surveys the available cross-country empirical evidence on the effects of regulatory reform on service productivity, prices and innovation. Finally, it discusses ways in which regulation can encourage competition, efficiency and investment in those segments of the service industries where non-competitive elements persist. The main conclusions reached are: i) in the past two decades OECD governments extensively reformed regulatory environments in both competitive and network service industries, generally making them closer to market mechanisms; ii) however due to differences in initial conditions and in the pace of reform, within each service industry the dispersion of ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 70
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 57 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.301
    Keywords: Economics ; European Union
    Abstract: The tax-to-GDP ratio rose steadily in most EU countries up to the late 1990s, largely reflecting a sustained expansion of public sector commitments to welfare provision. Since the late 1990s, many EU countries have cut tax rates. However, the tax burden in the EU area remains much higher than in most other economies. The tax mix is also different, with high tax wedges on labour and a stronger reliance on consumption and environmentally-related taxes. Recent measures targeted at lowering the tax burden on labour, in particular at the lower end of the income scale, have had promising results in terms of employment growth, showing how tax design is an important influence on countries’ performances. While there is not much room for cutting taxes significantly without downsizing public spending, further rebalancing the tax burden away from labour could contribute to better employment performance. Greater reliance on property taxes, which are low by international standards, could be ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 71
    Language: English
    Pages: 102 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.251
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper reviews trends, outcomes and issues in regulatory reform in OECD countries. First, it summarises the evidence on the evolution of regulatory environments and the economy-wide and sectoral effects of reforms (including privatisation) in both competitive and non-competitive industries in the past two decades. Turning to network industries, it then discusses the main policy issues raised by the need to adapt the regulation of the noncompetitive segments of these industries to increasing competition in liberalised markets. It focuses on four topics that dominate the debate over regulatory reform: i) the move from command-and-control to incentive-based regulatory approaches based on the removal of entry barriers in competitive markets, the adoption of price-cap mechanisms and the design of efficient and competitively-neutral charges for accessing the fixed networks of incumbents; ii) the pros and cons of structural measures such as privatisation, and vertical and horizontal ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 72
    Language: English
    Pages: 87 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.226
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper presents a database on indicators of product market regulations and employment protection legislation for most of the OECD countries and illustrates a methodology for aggregating these detailed indicators into summary indicators of the strictness of regulations. The summary indicators are obtained by means of factor analysis, in which each component of the regulatory framework is weighted according to its contribution to the overall variance in the data. These indicators are used to assess the regulatory approaches across countries as well as the interrelations between various sets of regulatory provisions. While regulatory provisions can be classified and assessed from a variety of standpoints, this paper focuses exclusively on the relative friendliness of regulations to market mechanisms: there is no attempt to assess the overall quality of regulations or their aptness in achieving their stated public policy goals. The guiding principle inspiring the conception of the ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 73
    Language: English
    Pages: 59 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.237
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The paper uses an original international database on regulation, market structure and performance in the telecommunications industry to investigate the effects of entry liberalisation and privatisation on productivity, prices and quality of service in long-distance (domestic and international) and mobile cellular telephony services in 23 OECD countries over the 1991-1997 period. The data on regulation and market structure is analysed by means of factor analysis techniques in order to group countries according to their policy and market environments. Controlling for technology developments and differences in economic structure, panel data estimates show that prospective competition (as proxied by the number of years remaining to liberalisation) and effective competition (as proxied by the share of new entrants or by the number of competitors) both bring about productivity and quality improvements and reduce the prices of all the telecommunications services considered in the analysis ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 74
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 64 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.249
    Keywords: Economics ; Spain
    Abstract: The recent tax reforms have improved incentives to work and removed barriers to the internationalisation of Spanish firms, and have helped to make the tax system simpler and more neutral, especially as regards saving. However, the structure of tax wedges, combined with significant labour market rigidities, continues to inhibit job creation, and particularly job creation for the unskilled. Furthermore, certain tax privileges, in particular incentives favouring owner-occupied housing, and the multiplicity of tax rates and systems applying to business profits, hamper economic efficiency and/or weaken income redistribution. Also, while the territorial authorities’ taxing powers have been increased considerably since 1997, they remain modest by comparison with their prerogatives as regards spending. The absence of adequate mechanism for controlling expenditure at the territorial level, plus the tax revenue guarantees extended to the regions by central government, could jeopardize ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 75
    Language: English
    Pages: 75 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.254
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The paper uses a data base on regulation, market structure and performance in the air passenger transportation industry, to analyse the links among liberalisation, private ownership, competition, efficiency and airfares at national and route levels. Covering the 1996-97 travel season, 21 aggregate indicators have been developed for 27 OECD countries, and 23 micro indicators for 102 air routes connecting 14 major international airports. These data, summarised by means of factor analysis show that i) regulations affecting the air industry vary heavily across countries and routes; ii) in most markets, air services are still provided by a few carriers, generally dominated by an incumbent flag-carrier or by an airline alliance between incumbents; iii) only in a few cases new entrant airlines play a significant role; iv) in a large number of airports, a single airline controls more than half of the available slots; v) as a result, few international routes are truly open to ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 76
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 67 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.214
    Keywords: Economics ; Greece
    Abstract: A successful reform of public enterprises would improve productivity in key sectors of the Greek economy, and thus provide essential inputs at lower cost to the economy as a whole. Reforms would need to address the factors that are responsible for the poor performance of Greek public enterprises. First, labour costs are high and productivity low in international comparisons. Second, there are wide technology gaps between Greece and other OECD countries. Third, Greece’s public enterprises fulfil heavy public service commitments without matching compensation. As a result, prices are often out of line with prices elsewhere. In recognition of the large drag on the economy, as well as the burden on the budget, the Government has embarked on a programme to revitalise inefficient public enterprises. The objective of this paper is to analyse the main issues concerning the public enterprise sector and assess the current policy framework, as well as planned changes to it. First, the key ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 77
    Language: English
    Pages: 57 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.129
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper uses a multivariate generalisation of the Beveridge and Nelson methodology to model trends and cycles of business-sector labour productivity in the major OECD countries. The method implies that the trend is the long-term forecast of productivity, given all available information; the cycle is thus interpreted as the total excess growth that one would forecast beyond "normal" rates of productivity (see Evans and Reichlin, 1992). Multivariate trends in productivity were estimated including series that Granger-cause and, possibly, are cointegrated with productivity. The corresponding cycles were compared with those generated by the Hodrick-Prescott filter and with the business-cycle dating of the OECD. The stability and predictive properties of the Beveridge-Nelson and Hodrick-Prescott trends were compared. Finally, the estimated productivity gaps were used as proxies for capacity utilisation in econometric models of price formation in order to assess their empirical ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 78
    Language: English
    Pages: 119 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.116
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The OECD Secretariat has developed a multi-region, multi-sector, dynamic applied general equilibrium (AGE) model to quantify the economy-wide and global costs of policies to curb emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The project is called the GeneRal Equilibrium ENvironment model, hereafter referred to as GREEN. The purpose of this paper is to provide a full technical description of the GREEN model, its data base and parametrisation as of April 1992. It replaces the previous version of the GREEN Technical Manual which was issued in June 1991 as Working Paper No. 104 ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 79
    Language: English
    Pages: 83 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Development Centre Working Papers no.77
    Keywords: Development ; Eswatini ; Niger
    Abstract: This Technical Paper presents the results of research on the impact of taxation and other regulations on micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in two countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The fiscal and other regulations of the countries studied — Niger and Swaziland — and their administrative systems are quite different. Based on approximately similar samples of enterprises from the two countries, this study estimated and compared the level of compliance with these different legal requirements, and also ascertained their consequences for the functioning and growth of these enterprises. The research revealed that the MSEs of the two countries do not comply with all the applicable regulations. The level of compliance itself depended more on the type of regulation and characteristics of the MSEs studied than on the country. It appears that the proportion of MSEs that are registered was nearly identical in the two countries, while differences depend primarily on location (rural versus urban) ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 80
    Language: English
    Pages: 79 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.115
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper presents simulation results using the OECD Secretariat's GREEN model to quantify the economic costs of possible international agreements to curb CO2 emissions. These results supersede the initial GREEN results published in Working Paper no. 103 in June 1991. The first section of the paper summarises the analysis and draws some conclusions for policy. Section II of the paper reviews the so-called Business-as-Usual scenario and presents some sensitivity analysis around it. Section III considers international agreements under which emission curbs are only applied by the OECD countries or the EC and no actions are taken by the non-OECD regions. Particular attention is paid to the possibility that unilateral action by the OECD countries might give rise to so-called "carbon leakages", i.e. higher emissions in the non-OECD regions. Section IV extends the coverage of the international agreements to embrace the non-OECD countries. It quantifies the gains from cost-effective ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 81
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Paris : OECD Publishing
    Language: English
    Pages: 38 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.125
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyse the implications of the European Commission proposal of a mixed energy cum carbon tax to curb CO2 emissions from a global perspective. The paper deals with the effects of this proposal on emissions and welfare in both the EC and the rest of the world by concentrating on three main issues: i) the effectiveness of the proposed tax measures in terms of curbing EC and global CO2 emissions; ii) the implied costs for the EC and the other countries/regions of the world; and iii) the implications of the EC proposal for the world distribution of emissions and the competitiveness of the EC economy. In this connection, the relevance of the so-called "carbon leakages" -- i.e. the displacement of polluting activities from countries participating in an emission reduction agreement to countries not concerned by the agreement -- is examined. The paper provides quantitative answers to these issues using simulations with GREEN, the global dynamic applied general ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 82
    Language: English
    Pages: 61 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.118
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper forms part of an OECD project which addresses the issue of the costs of reducing CO2 emissions by comparing the results from six global models of a set of standardised scenarios. This paper provides evidence of regional differences with respect to carbon tax curves through the middle of the next century. It also develops some analytical tools that can help to explain the main mechanisms at work in GREEN. Finally, it evaluates the welfare and output costs entailed in reduction emissions ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 83
    Language: English
    Pages: 103 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.104
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The OECD Secretariat has developed a multi-region, multi-sector, dynamic applied general equilibrium (AGE) model to quantify the economy-wide and global costs of policies to curb emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The project is called the GeneRal Equilibrium ENvironments model, hereafter referred to as GREEN. The purpose of this paper is to provide a full technical description of the GREEN model, its data base and parametrisation as of May 1991. Work is continuing to extend GREEN in several different directions to make the model more policy relevant, and a revised version of the technical manual will be issued in due course ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 84
    Language: English
    Pages: 57 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.103
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: The OECD Secretariat has developed a multi-region, multi-sector. dynamic general equilibrium model to quantify the economy-wide and global costs of policies to curb emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The project is called the GeneRal Equilibrium ENvironmental model, hereafter referred to as GREEN. The purpose of this paper is to outline the main features of GREEN in a non-technical fashion and to present some preliminary results from three scenarios of alternative international agreements to cut CO2 emissions. The paper also sets out a range of options for possible extensions to the model, with the explicit aim of improving its policy relevance ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 85
    Language: English
    Pages: 92 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.90
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Since the early 1980s, most OECD countries have embarked on medium-term strategies to restore greater balance to the public finances and to wind back government intervention in the economy. The attached paper examines the progress so far. It also reviews and evaluates some of the changes to public sector management practices which were implemented in the 1980s and assesses some of the pressures on the public sector which are likely to arise in the 1990s. Most OECD governments appear to have made significant headway in budgetary consolidation, particularly in the second half of the last decade, and public expenditure as a share of GDP has stabilised for the area as a whole, once allowance is made for cyclical effects. There has also been some measure of success in reducing economic regulation in a number of sectors. Nonetheless, governments are likely to face increased spending pressures in the 1990s, partly reflecting catch-up following expenditure restraint in the 1980s. Improving ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 86
    Language: English
    Pages: 89 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.61
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Recent swings in fertility rates, combined with anticipated increases in life expectancy, are expected to result in a significant increase in the number and proportion of elderly persons in the first half of the next century. This "ageing" of OECD populations is expected to have widespread impacts, affecting labour markets, the composition and level of consumption and output, national rates of saving and the rate of capital accumulation, etc. A widely recognized effect of ageing will be the pressures it will place on public sector finances as the share of future output transferred to a large dependent population rises. This paper discusses some of the potential economic impacts of ageing. It also presents an analysis of its impacts on public pension financing requirements, with particular emphasis on selected OECD countries -- Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United States. It is shown that, where desirable, future increases in retirement age and benefit reductions could help reduce ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 87
    Language: English
    Pages: 43 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.62
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: Demographic changes, such as those anticipated in most OECD countries, have many economic effects that impinge on a country's fiscal viability. Evaluation of the effects of associated changes in capital-labour ratios and the welfare and behaviour of different generations requires the use of a dynamic general equilibrium model. This paper uses an overlapping generations demographic simulation model, which incorporates bequest behaviour, technological change, the possibility that the economy is open to international trade, and government consumption expenditures that depend on the age composition of the population. The model has been further adapted to study the effects of anticipated demographic changes in Japan, the Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden and the United States. The simulation results indicate that these changes could have a major impact on rates of national saving, real wage rate and current accounts. One of this paper's fundamental lessons is that allowing for general ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
  • 88
    Language: English
    Pages: 99 p. , 21 x 29.7cm
    Series Statement: OECD Economics Department Working Papers no.50
    Keywords: Economics
    Abstract: This paper examines the empirical basis for the debt-neutrality hypothesis in an international cross-section of eight major OECD countries over the period 1961-85. The analysis uses a dynamic demand system for durable and non-durable goods derived from individual optimizing behaviour. The model nests three specifications corresponding to different degrees of consumer rationality: the traditional life-cycle consumption model, the case of inflation-adjustment of disposable income (no money illusion) and the case of full "tax discounting" (no fiscal illusion). In addition, the model incorporates explicitly the role of a variable interest rate and substitution between public and private consumption. The model is estimated using three different consumption aggregates at the single-country level and over the pooled data set. Estimates of the inflation-adjustment and fiscal illusion parameters are provided and specification tests opposing the three versions of the model are performed. The ...
    Library Location Call Number Volume/Issue/Year Availability
    BibTip Others were also interested in ...
Close ⊗
This website uses cookies and the analysis tool Matomo. More information can be found here...