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Achieving Fiscal Flexibility and Safeguarding Sustainability - The Case of Slovakia

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Author Info
Isabell Koske

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Abstract

Euro area entry calls for more fiscal flexibility to absorb cyclical shocks that cannot be dealt with by the common monetary policy. At the same time fiscal consolidation must not be put at risk, especially given rising ageing related costs. The current fiscal framework could be improved by introducing multi-year expenditure ceilings and by removing pro-cyclical elements in fiscal rules. An adjustment account that serves to register breaches of fiscal rules and eliminates them over time could help in coping with projection errors. To ensure long-term sustainability of public finances it is essential not to dilute the substantial improvements in the long-term balance of the definedbenefit pillar associated with past pension reforms. The government should consider making participation in the defined contribution pillar mandatory for new labour market entrants or, at the very least, make it the default option. For current workers the pillars should remain closed. Moreover, further parametric changes such as increasing the retirement age in line with life expectancy gains and reducing unsustainable elements in the pension formula would improve the balance of the defined benefit pillar.

Introduire plus de flexibilité budgétaire et préserver la viabilité des finances publiques - le cas de la Slovaquie
L’entrée dans la zone euro exige plus de flexibilité budgétaire pour absorber les chocs cycliques auxquels ne peut remédier la politique monétaire commune. Mais, dans le même temps, il ne faut pas compromettre l’assainissement budgétaire, surtout avec l’augmentation des dépenses liée au vieillissement. On pourrait améliorer le cadre budgétaire actuel en introduisant des plafonds pluriannuels de dépenses et en mettant fin aux éléments procycliques des règles de politique budgétaire. Un compte d’ajustement enregistrant les écarts par rapport aux règles de politique budgétaire et les éliminant à terme pourrait être utile pour corriger les erreurs de prévision. Pour assurer la viabilité à long terme des finances publiques, il est indispensable de ne pas remettre en cause la nette amélioration à long terme de l’équilibre du régime de retraite à prestations définies, rendue possible par les réformes antérieures. Le gouvernement devrait envisager une participation obligatoire des nouveaux entrants sur le marché du travail au régime à cotisations définies ou, au moins, faire en sorte que ce régime soit l’option par défaut. Il ne faudrait pas que les travailleurs actuels puissent changer de régime. De plus, de nouveaux ajustements paramétriques - notamment le relèvement de l’âge de la retraite en fonction de l’allongement de l’espérance de vie et la correction d’un certain nombre d’éléments non viables de la formule de calcul des retraites - amélioreraient l’équilibre du régime à prestations définies.

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File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/226231818862
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Paper provided by OECD, Economics Department in its series OECD Economics Department Working Papers with number 681.

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Date of creation: 06 Mar 2009
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Handle: RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:681-en

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Related research
Keywords: fiscal rules; fiscal sustainability; pension system; Slovak Republic; cadre budgétaire; République slovaque; système de retraite; viabilité budgétaire;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Capital and Ownership Structure
H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
H62 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Deficit; Surplus
H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management

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This page was last updated on 2009-11-23.

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