Local government and utility firms’ debts

The global financial crisis has affected the Croatian local public sector. In such circumstances, local government units’ debts and borrowing should be approached with caution. The highly interwoven financial operations of local government units and their utilities indicate the need for analysis of consolidated financial statements of local governments and utility companies in order to gain an insight into the real financial “health” of local units. Accordingly, the main aim of this paper is to analyze the size and the structure of the consolidated (local government and utility companies) local public debt in Croatia. Accordingly, the paper presents the financial position of local government units supplemented with information on the financial operations of utility companies, with particular emphasis on the size and structure of their liabilities and gross and net debt. Although the current Budget Law does not require formal preparation of consolidated financial statements by local governments and their utility firms, consolidation is stipulated by International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). The application of IPSAS regulations would be helpful in determining overall direct and indirect exposure of local government units arising from the financial operations of their utilities.local government units’ debts, utility companies’ debts, the consolidation of financial statements of local units and utility companies, Croatia

Government guarantees and public debt in Croatia

Government financial and performance guarantees have been issued in Croatia since 1996, to support funding and ensure favourable borrowing conditions in the financial market for companies in majority state ownership. However, government guarantees have rarely been part of defined strategies and goals of public debt and risk management. Despite their steady growth, the structure of active guarantees and their influence on Croatian public debt are still unknown. This paper analyses the amount and structure of state guarantees, their maturities and the authority and accountability for their management, and it compares the structure of guarantees in terms of economic sectors. The main objective of the paper is to determine the influence of government guarantees on the public debt growth.government guarantees, maturity, management, public debt, Croatia

Measuring the efficiency and productivity of the Croatian banks with Malmquists index of change of total factor productivity

In the literature that deals with the empirical measurement of relative technical efficiency and change in the productiveness of banks over time the Malmquist index of change of total factor productivity has become the most often-used analytical tool. It has been shown that the Malmquist index helps both central and commercial bank analysis to monitor trends within the banking sector, and that it can be used as assistance in controlling the system and in strategic planning. This investigation is directed at the relative comparison of banks within the banking sector of Croatia in the period from 2000 to 2003, and is the first paper in which the Croatian banking sector has been analysed with the application of the Malmquist index of change in total factor productivity. The scientific contribution deriving from this is heightened by the interdisciplinarity that informs the paper. The primary objective of the investigation is the monitoring of relative trends of banks inside the very dynamic Croatian banking sector. Focus is placed on the need for the development of additional models to cover alternative and above all off-balance-sheet indicators.Malmquist TFP index, banking performance

Determinants of sovereign risk premia for European emerging markets

This paper analyses the determinants of the changes in sovereign bond spreads in emerging European markets before and during the recent global financial crisis. In particular, these determinants are associated with changes in market sentiment and in domestic macroeconomic fundamentals. The model was estimated on panel ata for eight central and eastern European countries between Q1:2000 and Q2:2010, using least squares and controlling for serial correlation. The results show that the dynamics of spreads can be explained by both market sentiment indicators and macroeconomic fundamentals. In particular, the external imbalances did not exert any discernible effect on spreads prior to the crisis, but became increasingly significant as the crisis broke out.sovereign bond spreads, emerging markets, central and eastern Europe, global financial crisis, market sentiment, macroeconomic fundamentals

Restrukturiranje sustava fiskalnog izravnanja u Hrvatskoj

The aim of this paper is to propose a model of fiscal equalization in Croatia. This paper tests the hypothesis of a lack of effectiveness of the existing fiscal equalization model compared to a model that would be based on alleviating the difference in the potential to collect revenue from the personal income tax and surtax. Fiscal inequalities of local government units are determined first under the current equalization system by calculating the Gini coefficients and graphically presented with Lorenz curves. Thereafter, a distribution of equalization grants is simulated based on the new (proposed) model. The effectiveness of the proposed model in alleviating the fiscal inequalities is determined in relation to the effectiveness of the current equalization system. It was found that the model based on equalizing the difference in the capacity to collect revenue from the personal income tax and surtax alleviates inequalities in fiscal capacities of local government units much better than the existing system at the same cost. The main conclusion is that the fiscal equalization in Croatia should urgently be redesigned in order to improve efficiency and fairness, but also the transparency and credibility of the equalization system.Cilj rada je predložiti model fiskalnog izravnanja u Hrvatskoj. U radu se testira hipoteza o nedovoljnoj učinkovitosti postojećeg modela fiskalnog izravnanja u odnosu na model koji bi se temeljio na ublažavanju razlika u potencijalu prikupljanja prihoda od prireza i poreza na dohodak. Izračunom Ginijevih koeficijenata najprije se utvrđuju nejednakosti u raspodjeli fiskalnih kapaciteta po stanovniku jedinica lokalne samouprave u postojećem sustavu izravnanja koje se prikazuju i grafički Lorenzovim krivuljama. Potom se provodi simulacija raspodjele pomoći za fiskalno izravnanje na temelju novog (predloženog) modela te se testira njegova učinkovitost u ublažavanju fiskalnih nejednakosti. Utvrđeno je kako model utemeljen na ublažavanju razlika u kapacitetu prikupljanja prihoda od prireza i poreza na dohodak u znatno većoj mjeri od postojećeg sustava ublažava razlike u fiskalnim kapacitetima jedinica lokalne samouprave uz isti trošak. Zaključak je da fiskalno izravnanje u Hrvatskoj hitno treba restrukturirati kako bi se poboljšala učinkovitost i pravednost, ali i transparentnost i vjerodostojnost sustava izravnanja

Mjerenje efikasnosti i produktivnosti hrvatskih banaka Malmquistovim indeksom promjene ukupne faktorske produktivnosti

U znanstvenoj literaturi koja se bavi empirijskim mjerenjem relativne tehničke efikasnosti i promjene produktivnosti banaka tijekom vremena Malmquistov indeks promjene ukupne faktorske produktivnosti postao je najčešće korišteno analitičko oruđe. Pokazalo se da Malmquistov indeks pomaže i analitičarima središnje banke, kao i analitičarima komercijalnih banaka u praćenju kretanja unutar bankovnog sektora, te se može iskoristiti kao pomoć u nadzoru sustava ili pri strateškom planiranju. Ovo je istraživanje usmjereno na relativnu usporedbu banaka unutar bankovnog sektora Hrvatske u razdoblju od 2000. do 2003. godine i prvi je rad u kojemu se analizira hrvatski bankovni sektor primjenom Malmquistova indeksa promjene ukupne faktorske produktivnosti. Znanstveni doprinos koji proizlazi iz te činjenice, dodatno je potenciran interdisciplinarnošću kojom je rad prožet. Primarni cilj istraživanja jest praćenje relativnih kretanja banaka unutar vrlo dinamičnoga bankovnog sektora Hrvatske. Istaknuta je potreba izgradnje modela koji obuhvaćaju alternativne, prije svega, izvanbilančne pokazatelje

The structure and economic significance of government guarantees in Croatia and the European Union

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, when countries are facing difficulties in raising the amounts of revenue needed to cover the expenditure side of the budget, fiscal risks can pose a significant threat to the sustainability of public finance. This became particularly evident in the case of public enterprises and their liabilities, which often increased public debt because of difficulties in meeting their financial obligations. The aim of this paper is to evaluate fiscal risks from government guarantees in Croatia and the European Union in general. Moreover, the paper aims to analyse the dynamics of the value and structure of government guarantees in Croatia in the period from 2009 to first half of 2015. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of government guarantees on direct public debt in the context of methodological changes in the registration of public debt

Government guarantees and public debt in Croatia

Government fi nancial and performance guarantees have been issued in Croatia since 1996, to support funding and ensure favourable borrowing conditions in the fi nancial market for companies in majority state ownership. However, government guarantees have rarely been part of defi ned strategies and goals of public debt and risk management. Despite their steady growth, the structure of active guarantees and their infl uence on Croatian public debt are still unknown. This paper analyses the amount and structure of state guarantees, their maturities and the authority and accountability for their management, and it compares the structure of guarantees in terms of economic sectors. The main objective of the paper is to determine the infl uence of government guarantees on the public debt growth

Measuring the Efficacy and Productiveness of Croatian Banks with the Malmquist Index of Change in Total Factor Productivity

In the literature that deals with the empirical measurement of relative technical efficiency and change in the productiveness of banks over time the Malmquist index of change of total factor productivity has become the most often-used analytical tool. It has been shown that the Malmquist index helps both central and commercial bank analysis to monitor trends within the banking sector, and that it can be used as assistance in controlling the system and in strategic planning. This investigation is directed at the relative comparison of banks within the banking sector of Croatia in the period from 2000 to 2003, and is the first paper in which the Croatian banking sector has been analysed with the application of the Malmquist index of change in total factor productivity. The scientific contribution deriving from this is heightened by the interdisciplinarity that informs the paper. The primary objective of the investigation is the monitoring of relative trends of banks inside the very dynamic Croatian banking sector. Focus is placed on the need for the development of additional models to cover alternative and above all off-balance-sheet indicators