Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

Список книг автора Jorge Martinez-Vazquez



    Fiscal Decentralization in Asia

    Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

    This publication discusses the decentralization issues faced by countries of Asia and the Pacific. It includes practical suggestions on how to proceed in this area to achieve economic growth, macroeconomic stability, poverty and income distribution, services delivery improvements, and political accountability. This note elaborates on adequacy of local revenues and autonomy, expenditure management and clear service delivery mandates, horizontal imbalances and limited use of incentives in intergovernmental transfers, financing needs and local government borrowing, and local management capacities as the major challenges in a decentralized fiscal architecture. The recommendations to address the above challenges also note the long- term nature of these reforms.

    The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization

    Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

    This publication analyzes the impact of fiscal decentralization and the resultant issues and challenges that countries face in practice. It traces the evolution of fiscal decentralization as a significant and consequential global reform that has made subnational governments' key public sector actors in a majority of countries. This note touches upon its various aspects: incidence and presence in the world; foundation in economics; impact of a list of outcomes, including economic growth, macroeconomic stability, poverty and income distribution, and service delivery and political accountability. It confirms the positive overall impact of decentralized systems, especially when they are well designed and implemented with examples from around the world, including those from Asia and the Pacific.

    Taxation in Asia

    Jorge Martinez-Vazquez

    This publication presents an overview of tax policy and tax administration issues–how countries in Asia and the Pacific compare with the rest of the world in main taxes, revenue collections, tax morale, and others. The implications of reducing reliance on customs tariff revenues and of using the value-added tax on a broader basis, especially in the services sector, have been analyzed. This note suggests an agenda for reform by discussing whether there is space to increase national revenue collections, how to improve tax administration and enforcement, and how these reforms interact with the decentralization paradigm. The individual country performances, the extent of the shadow economy, and lessons on reforming tax administration have been referenced.