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Public sector efficiency in the design of a COVID fund for the euro area

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  • Olanubi, Oluwanbepelumi Esther
  • Olanubi, Sijuola Orioye

Abstract

This study examines the importance of incorporating public sector efficiency considerations in the design of a “COVID Fund” in the euro area, aimed at providing insurance for member states against common health shocks. To test our proposition, we examine the efficiency of government spending on health during periods of severe resource constraints, which mirrors what occurs during pandemics like COVID-19. Specifically, we considered 19 administrations in the euro area during the global financial crisis and euro area sovereign debt crisis that followed. The results support our proposition. First, they reveal the average efficiency for all 19 administrations to be 0.950, which implies that member countries had wasted about 5% of funds allocated to health during this period. This suggests the need for the supranational institution to first of all ensure improvements in the use of public funds allocated to health by national governments in order to prevent wastage of the financial aid transferred to them during pandemics. Also, two of the four administrations that adopted the Economic and Financial Adjustment Programme of the troika (Portugal and Greece) during the twin crisis were among the most efficient. This suggest that making conditionalities an integral part of the central coordination of health funds during pandemics will result in improvements in the efficiency of funds transferred to member states.

Suggested Citation

  • Olanubi, Oluwanbepelumi Esther & Olanubi, Sijuola Orioye, 2022. "Public sector efficiency in the design of a COVID fund for the euro area," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(3), pages 163-169.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:76:y:2022:i:3:p:163-169
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2022.07.004
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public Sector Efficiency; Covid-19; Centrally Coordinated Health Fund; COVID Fund; Euro Area;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • H51 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Health
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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