Managing Government Compensation and Employment - Institutions, Policies, and Reform Challenges

Managing Government Compensation and Employment - Institutions, Policies, and Reform Challenges
Author: International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 99
Release: 2016-08-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498345778

Government compensation and employment policies are important for the efficient delivery of public services which are crucial for the functioning of economies and the general prosperity of societies. On average, spending on the wage bill absorbs around one-fifth of total spending. Cross-country variation in wage spending reflects, in part, national choices about the government’s role in priority sectors, as well as variations in the level of economic development and resource constraints.

Case Studies on Managing Government Compensation and Employment - Institutions, Policies, and Reform Challenges

Case Studies on Managing Government Compensation and Employment - Institutions, Policies, and Reform Challenges
Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 99
Release: 2016-12-04
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498345735

This supplement presents country case studies reviewing country experiences with managing wage bill pressures, which are the basis for the compensation and employment reform lessons identified in the main paper. The selection of countries for the case studies reflects past studies carried out by either the IMF or the World Bank in the context of technical assistance or bilateral surveillance (Table 1). These studies provide important insights into the different sources of wage bill pressures as well as the reform challenges governments have faced when addressing these pressures over the short and medium term. The studies cover 20 countries, including five advanced economies, six countries from sub-Saharan Africa, two countries in developing Asia, one country in the Middle East and North Africa, three countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and three countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the CIS. The structure of each case study is similar, with each study starting with a presentation of the institutional coverage and framework for setting and managing the wage bill; a description of employment and compensation levels, including their comparison with the private sector; and a discussion of the challenges that motivated the need for reforms and, when applicable, the reforms implemented and lessons derived from these.

Government Wage Bill Management and Civil Service Reform in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union

Government Wage Bill Management and Civil Service Reform in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union
Author: Mr.A. E. Wayne Mitchell
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 33
Release: 2019-05-17
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498304214

In this study, we assess the size of the government wage bill and employment in the member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and their implications for fiscal sustainability and the adequacy of public service delivery. Over the period 2005 to 2015 their wage bill (as a percentage of GDP, government revenues and expenditures) is higher than in other small states notwithstanding recent efforts by governments to make it more manageable. The composition and distribution of employment is sub-optimal and is reflected in skills mismatches contributing to inefficiencies in public service delivery. Using a dynamic fixed-effects panel, we find that wage bill growth reflects the expansion of government activities to speed up economic and social development and that wage bill spending is procyclical in good times but is rigid during downturns. Finally, we identify the main institutional and legal reforms needed to improve wage bill management and public service efficiency.

International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2017

International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2017
Author: International Monetary Fund
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 114
Release: 2017-10-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484306147

During the past financial year, the IMF’s 189 member countries faced a number of pressing challenges. IMF work on these challenges - slower trade, declining productivity, gender inequality, inclusive growth, and debt management - is a central focus of this 2017 Annual Report.

Argentina

Argentina
Author: International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2016-11-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475552645

This paper discusses Argentina’s investment rate which was well below the average of Latin American countries and that of a peer group of advanced and emerging market countries, with a larger gap in private investment. Raising investment prospects would be essential to boost economic activity. The administration that took office in December 2015 has emphasized the importance of generating an investor friendly environment that allows Argentina to recover some of the growth opportunities lost over the last few decades. Although quantifying the capital accumulation gap is a clearly a difficult task, one way of doing so is to look at the difference between Argentina’s capital-labor ratio and that of the selected peer group of countries. Argentina’s investment rates and capital-output ratios are also compared with estimates of their steady state values derived from standard neoclassical growth models. Argentina’s investment rate would need to increase significantly to eliminate the capital accumulation gap built during the last two decades, and this could significantly accelerate GDP growth.

Kingdom of Swaziland

Kingdom of Swaziland
Author: International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2017-09-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484318714

This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that the macroeconomic conditions have recently deteriorated in Swaziland. In 2016, two shocks—a prolonged drought and a sharp decline in South African Customs Union (SACU) receipts—severely hit the economy, while an expansionary fiscal policy worsened fiscal and external balances. Growth in 2016 stagnated, as agricultural productions declined, and headline inflation increased sharply, mostly owing to rising food prices. Fiscal policy remains on an expansionary course, while the monetary stance has tightened. Despite a pickup in SACU revenue, the 2017 budget envisages a continuation of large fiscal deficits, and further increase in public debt.

Public Wage Bills in the Middle East and Central Asia

Public Wage Bills in the Middle East and Central Asia
Author: Ms.Natalia T. Tamirisa
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2018-01-09
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484336739

Analysis of policies for managing public sector wage bills in the Middle East and Central Asia region. While some work has been done recently at the Fund on issues related to government employment and compensation, to our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically examine, with a focus on the Middle East and Central Asia region, the recent trends and drivers of public wage bills in the region and to identify key policy implications.

South Africa: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for South Africa

South Africa: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for South Africa
Author: International Monetary
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2022-02-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

South Africa’s subpar economic performance over the last decade has weakened its macroeconomic fundamentals and social indicators. In response to formidable COVID-19-related challenges, government expenditure surged, and, amid declining revenue, the budget deficit widened significantly. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Prudential Authority (PA) preserved adequate liquidity conditions and financial-sector stability. The cyclical recovery from the deep contraction has been faster than expected but its strength is unlikely to be sustained. Benign global market conditions have supported asset performance, although term premia are elevated due to fiscal risks. Bank soundness indicators remain solid, but a deepening bank-sovereign nexus raises some concerns.

Iraq

Iraq
Author: International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 85
Release: 2019-07-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513508881

This 2019 Article IV Consultation and Proposal for Post-Program Monitoring highlights that Iraq’s social conditions remain harsh following the war with ISIS, with slow progress at reconstruction, weak public services and a lack of job opportunities. In the absence of policy changes, a widening budget deficit is expected to divert resources away from essential investment to rebuild the country and improve public services, while eroding reserves and posing risks to medium-term sustainability. Expenditure rigidities and limited fiscal buffers imply a significant vulnerability to oil price shocks in a context of volatile prices. The fiscal and external positions are expected to continue to deteriorate over the medium term absent policy changes—with reserves falling below adequate levels and fiscal buffers eroded. In a context of highly volatile oil prices, the major risk to the outlook is a fall in oil prices which would lower exports and budgetary revenues, leading to an even sharper decline in reserves or higher public debt. Geopolitical tensions, the potential for social unrest in a context of weak public services and lack of progress in combatting corruption pose further risks.

Namibia

Namibia
Author: International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2018-02-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484344073

This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that Namibia’s economy has reached a turning point with ending of temporary expansionary factors. GDP sharply decelerated in 2016 and contracted in 2017 as construction in the mining sector came to an end and the government began consolidating. With the economy contracting and Southern Africa Customs Union’s receipts temporarily increasing, the current account balance improved significantly. The outlook remains positive with considerable vulnerabilities and risks. Growth is projected to resume in 2018, as mining production ramps up, construction activity stabilizes and manufacturing recovers, before converging to a long-term rate of about 3.5 percent, below the average of recent years.