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The long-run sustainability of Swedish Fiscal Policy

This study examines the long-term sustainability of Swedish fiscal policy, focusing on net contributions to public finances, demographic trends, and the impact of pension reforms. It also discusses the need for larger surpluses and possible adjustments to retirement age.

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The long-run sustainability of Swedish Fiscal Policy

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  1. The long-run sustainability of Swedish Fiscal Policy Thomas Eisensee Senior Economist

  2. Net-contributions to public finances + ▬

  3. Net-contributions to public finances 1999 Thousand kronor age Source: Pettersson et al (2006)

  4. Sustainability present discounted value of income = initial net debt + present discounted value of expenditures S2=0 S2 negative → tax reduction/expenditure rise (and vice versa)

  5. Dependency ratio 1900-2110 Dependency ratio Old-age dependency Child dependency Source: Statistics Sweden

  6. Calculations by the Ministry of Finance • Tax rules and spending policies are held constant and demography determines development • Fiscal policy is sustainable since S2=0 • Pension reform of 1999/2000 reduced pension liabilities • Transparency: • Increase in expenditures from 2011 and onward by 5 percentof GDPthrougha technical adjustment • Model is poorly documented • Not much in terms of sensitivity analysis

  7. Old-age pension per person 65+ relative to average wage (percent) Source: Ministry of Finance and Swedish Fiscal Policy Council

  8. Public sector financial net-wealth (percent of GDP) No technical adjustment Budget bill 2008 Source: Ministry of Finance and the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council

  9. Sustainability indicator and implicit surplus target (percent of GDP) Smallest sustainable net lending Budget Bill 2008 Budget Bill without technical adjustment Higher standard in public sector Higher standard in healthcare Larger effect of employment policy Smaller effect of employment policy Reduction in mean working hours Later retirement

  10. The government should run large surpluses over the coming years • Large surplus today • Large uncertainty in sustainability calculations gives strong precautionary motive to have larger surplus than one percent of GDP until 2015 • Net lending at around one percent of GDP is exactly sufficient to keep financial wealth constant as a share of GDP (at 20 percent) • How large precautionary buffers should be is a political question • A natural adjustment is to increase the retirement age as longevity rises

  11. The surplus target should be revised • Holds until 2015 according to the governments calculations • Subsequently the surplus gets smaller and eventually turns into a deficit • Surplus target was introduced when consolidation of public finances was inevitable • Today it is easier to fine-tune the surplus target

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