Military Spending, the Peace Dividend, and Fiscal Adjustment

This paper decomposes the sources of the peace dividend into global, regional, and country-specific factors, and analyzes their relative importance. It finds that the easing of international and regional tensions and the existence of IMF-supported adjustment programs are systematically related to lower military spending and a higher share of nonmilitary spending in total government outlays. The easing of international tensions and of regional tensions since the end of the Cold War and the existence of IMF-supported adjustment programs account for 66 percent, 26 percent, and 11 percent of the decline in military spending, respectively. Furthermore, fiscal adjustment has implied a larger cut in military spending of countries with IMF-supported programs. Copyright 2001, International Monetary Fund

Health Expenditures Under the HIPC Debt Initiative

One of the goals of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt initiative is to provide additional resources for basic health care to the population of eligible developing countries. In this paper I investigate the effect of debt relief on per capita health expenditure in a sample of developing countries while controlling for other factors used in the literature. I find that debt relief has – at the margin – little or no effect on health expenditure in countries that are classified as HIPC. The level of health expenditures in HIPC countries, however, is significantly higher than in other developing countries. On the other hand, countries not classified as HIPC increase their per capita health expenditures more than proportionally if they receive debt relief. This result is surprising considering that per capita amounts of debt relief provided to HIPC countries are on average significantly higher than those to Non-HIPC countries.HIPC debt initiative, debt relief, foreign aid, public health expenditure

Director's Newsletter

Newsletter of the Boston University Medical Center Director's Offic

Postconflict Countries: Strategy for Rebuilding Fiscal Institutions

This paper reviews the challenges and experiences in rebuilding fiscal institutions in postconflict environments, based on advice from the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department to selected countries. The recommended strategy involved a three-step process of (i) creating a proper legal framework for fiscal management, (ii) establishing a central fiscal authority and a mechanism for co-ordinating foreign assistance, and (iii) designing appropriate tax policies while simultaneously creating simple tax administration and expenditure management arrangements. The advice was tailored to the circumstances of postconflict countries, and in some cases involved transitional measures that were not first best from an efficiency standpoint. In a similar vein, recommendations on revenue administration and expenditure management focused on the most basic tasks and procedures. In providing advice, care was taken to ensure that these measures were consistent with the eventual transformation to a modern fiscal management system.fiscal policy, tax, institutions, conflict

Rebuilding Fiscal Institutions in Post-Conflict Countries

This paper reviews the key challenges in rebuilding fiscal institutions in post-conflict countries. Based on IMF technical assistance advice, it proposes a three-step framework for the creation or re-establishment of well-functioning public finance institutions: (i) creating a proper legal framework for fiscal management, (ii) establishing a central fiscal authority, and (iii) designing appropriate tax policies while simultaneously creating simple tax administration and expenditure management arrangements.post-conflict, fiscal instutions, public expenditure management, tax administration

The Angel Saint

This is a small tract relating the life and early history of St. Thomas Aquinas, as the patron of Catholic Schools, Colleges and Universities. The tract was meant for wide dissemination among the public for promoting the Catholic Church and in explaining St. Thomas’ part in shaping the Church’s role in education.https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/catholic_documents/1017/thumbnail.jp

Is external debt an effective way of bringing economic reforms?

This paper investigates the adverse effects of external debt on economic performance. In order to cater the issue of errors in mathematical model developed to analyze the correlation, this paper deals by performing a hypothetical analysis on economic growth within a country at different levels of external debt. The analysis is done on all sectors at the same time to ensure maximum accuracy. The paper concludes that debt itself is not an effective way of helping underdeveloped countries. This study adds in finding effective means which will allow underdeveloped countries to get a foothold on the development ladder of economy.External Debt; Growth; Pakistan Economy; Debt overhang; Crowding out

#Handsonlearning: lessons from student takeover of CSB/SJU social media

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, CSB and SJU communication students took over CSB/SJU institutional profiles on Instagram and Vine for six weeks in the spring of 2014. Students in the Communication Department\u27s New Media Applications and Analysis course planned, prepared and shared photos and video for their assigned profile. Groups were responsible for setting goals for their takeover, creating a profile of a target audience and applying lessons learned about effective branding through visual communication. In this presentation, Associate Professor Kelly Berg and CSB/SJU Social Media Specialist Tiffany Clements discuss learning outcomes from the collaboration and takeaways for future Communications and Marketing efforts