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Fiscal federalism and regional performance in Russia

Author

Listed:
  • Gabriel Di Bella

    (International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC, United States of America)

  • Oksana Dynnikova

    (International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC, United States of America)

  • Francesco Grigoli

    (International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC, United States of America)

Abstract

Sound regional policies are essential for balanced and sustained economic growth. The interaction of federal and regional policies with cross-regional structural differences affects human and physical capital formation, the business climate, private investment, market depth, and competition. This paper summarizes the main elements of Russia’s fiscal federalism, describes the channels through which it operates, and assesses the effectiveness of regional transfers in reducing regional disparities. The results suggest that federal transfers to regions contributed to reducing disparities arising from heterogeneous regional tax bases and fiscal revenues. This allowed regions with initially lower per capita income to increase human and physical capital at higher rates. There is little evidence for transfers contributing to increased cross-regional growth synchronization. The results also suggest that federal transfers did not significantly improve regional fiscal sustainability, a conclusion that is supported by the lack of convergence in per capita real income across Russian regions in the last 15 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Gabriel Di Bella & Oksana Dynnikova & Francesco Grigoli, 2018. "Fiscal federalism and regional performance in Russia," Russian Journal of Economics, ARPHA Platform, vol. 4(2), pages 108-132, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:arh:jrujec:v:4:y:2018:i:2:p:108-132
    DOI: 10.3897/j.ruje.4.27741
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dynnikova, O. & Kyobe, A. & Slavov, S., 2022. "Regional disparities and fiscal federalism in Russia," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 55(3), pages 102-138.
    2. Evgeny N. Timushev, 2019. "Federal Intergovernmental Transfers and the Level of Intraregional Fiscal Decentralization in Russia," Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal, Financial Research Institute, Moscow 125375, Russia, issue 6, pages 27-42, December.
    3. Gabriel Di Bella & Oksana Dynnikova & Mr. Slavi T Slavov, 2019. "The Russian State’s Size and its Footprint: Have They Increased?," IMF Working Papers 2019/053, International Monetary Fund.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    convergence; federalism; regional policies; Russia; transfers;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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