Narrow Your Choices

Refine By Countries

Refine By Topic

Refine By Language

Refine By Date

—

Refine By IMF Taxonomy

Refine By JEL Taxonomy

Refine by LOC Taxonomy

Refine By THEMA Taxonomy

  • Print
  • Save

Notes and Manuals > IMF How To Notes

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 38 items for

  • Type: Journal Issue x
Clear All Modify Search
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Make the Management of Public Finances Climate-Sensitive—“Green PFM”
Ozlem Aydin Sakrak, Bryn Battersby, Mr. Fabien Gonguet, Mr. Claude P Wendling, Jacques Charaoui, Murray Petrie, and Suphachol Suphachalasai
This How to Note develops the “green public financial management (PFM)” framework briefly outlined in an earlier Staff Climate Note (2021/002, published in August 2021). It illustrates, how climate change and environmental concerns can be mainstreamed into government’s institutional arrangements in place to facilitate the implementation of fiscal policies. It provides numerous country examples covering possible entry points for green PFM – phases in the budget cycle (strategic planning and fiscal framework, budget preparation, budget execution and accounting, control, and audit), legal framework or issues that cut across the budget cycle, such as fiscal transparency or coordination with State Owned Enterprises or with subnational governments. This How to Note also summarizes practical guidance for implementation of a green PFM strategy, underscoring the need for a tailored approach adapted to country specificities and for a strong stewardship role of the Ministry of Finance.
Keywords:
Public financial management; green budgeting; green public financial management; mainstreaming; climate change adaptation; climate change mitigation; public finances; PFM function; view of Green PFM; PFM practice; PFM reform; Climate change; Budget planning and preparation; Climate policy; Global
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Evaluate Tax Expenditures
Sebastian Beer, Ms. Dora Benedek, Brian Erard, and Jan Loeprick
Governments use tax expenditures (TEs) to provide financial support or benefits to taxpayers. The budgetary impact of TEs can be similar to that of direct outlays: after the support is provided, less money is available to fund other government priorities. Systematic evaluations are needed to guide informed decision-mak¬ing and to avoid a situation where the narrative on the benefits of TEs is primarily driven by profiting stakeholders. By TE “evaluation,” this note refers to a process that seeks to systematically inform policymak¬ers on the desirability of introducing or maintaining specific tax benefits by gathering and analyzing avail¬able quantitative and qualitative information on their effects. Evaluation processes can be tailored to different levels of data availability and analytical capacity. An evaluation should focus on the policy objective of a TE and whether it effectively and efficiently contrib¬utes to that policy objective. Although important lessons can be learned from coun¬try practices in implementing increasingly ambitious evaluation processes, there is no single best-practice approach to replicate.
Keywords:
tax expenditures; cost-benefit assessment; public policy evaluation; sample evaluation; publication order; publication service; title page; post evaluation; Tax incentives; Compliance costs; Value-added tax; Global; East Asia
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Design and Institutionalize Spending Reviews
Laura Doherty and Amanda Sayegh
Spending reviews refer to the process of conducting in-depth assessments of existing public expenditure in order to identify opportunities to reduce or redirect spending from low-priority, inefficient, or ineffective spending. They offer a systemic approach to ensuring that spending is aligned with the government’s policy priorities, is effective in achieving its intended objectives and is deployed efficiently. This How to Note outlines the various objectives of spending reviews and provides guidance on designing a spending review process, including the organizational architecture and roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders. It also discusses the various stages of con¬ducting spending reviews and mechanisms for integrat¬ing their outcomes into the budget process. This note draws on lessons and experiences from countries that have established spending reviews, while recognizing that this is an emerging area for further reform.
Keywords:
• Spending reviews; public expenditure; public financial management; budget planning; program performance; efficiency and effectiveness; analyzing spending; A. spending review objective; IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department; spending review methodology; PFM reform; Public expenditure review; Budget planning and preparation; Expenditure efficiency; Europe; Global
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Manage Fiscal Risks from Subnational Governments
Mr. Sandeep Saxena
Subnational governments can create sizable fiscal risks for central governments. In addition to impacting service delivery at the grassroots level, unsustainable subnational finances can be a continuous drain on central resources. The need for stronger public financial management systems and capacities to analyze and manage risks at the subnational government level cannot be overemphasized. Central governments need to develop sound institutional mechanisms to systematically monitor the health of subnational finances to be able to proactively manage associated risks. This How to Note provides a framework for central governments that seek to assess and manage fiscal risks stemming from weak subnational finances. It analyzes the sources of subnational finance vulnerabilities and argues that central governments would benefit from putting in place the following: (1) a stronger regulatory framework, (2) improved fiscal reporting, and (3) enhanced central oversight. The lessons distilled from the international experience are particularly useful for developing economies where the management of risks can be improved.
Keywords:
fiscal risks; contingent liabilities; subnational debt; public financial management (PFM); fiscal institutions; public debt; fiscal policy; budget planning; subnational finances; Subnational government; Subnational contingent liabilities; national government; sound Subnational PFM system; borrowing regulation; Budget planning and preparation; Global
Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Prepare Expenditure Baselines
Fazeer Sheik Rahim, Mr. Claude P Wendling, and Ms. Eliko Pedastsaar
Expenditure baseline projections (hereafter, “base¬lines”) are a key analytical concept in budget preparation that refers to estimates of future expenditure on the assumption that current policies remain unchanged. They serve as reference points against which other data, such as proposed or approved budgets, or expenditure ceilings, can be compared. In many countries they are a basic tool for starting the preparation of the budget. They represent neither future spending allocations nor total expected outturn as they do not incorporate estimates of the cost of new policies and the expected impact of saving measures. Other features of baselines are that they are generally produced over a multiyear period, they can be calcu¬lated at any level or form of the budget classification (that is, ministries, economic classification, specific policies, functions or programs), and can be summed up to higher levels (such as the whole budget). Hence, they can be useful at both a micro and an aggregate level. This note aims to clarify and establish a framework that covers baselines’ various purposes and uses. It first discusses the definition and objectives of baselines and the methodology used for producing them before outlining how they should be prepared. It concludes with a discussion of the key success factors for making the most effective use of baselines.
Keywords:
expenditure baselines; economic policies; ministry of finance; line ministries and agencies; social welfare; pension spending; budget frameworks; expenditure baseline; publication order; publication service; baseline projection; spending needs; baseline expenditure; budget negotiations; Budget planning and preparation; Wages; Fiscal space; Wage adjustments; Africa