{
  "title": "Energy Subsidy Reform - Lessons and Implications",
  "publication": "Policy Papers, January 28, 2013",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/policy-papers/issues/2016/12/31/energy-subsidy-reform-lessons-and-implications-pp4741",
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  "summary": "Energy subsidies have wide-ranging economic consequences. While aimed at protecting consumers, subsidies aggravate fiscal imbalances, crowd-out priority public spending, and depress private investment, including in the energy sector.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview and purpose",
      "content": "- Energy subsidies have wide-ranging economic consequences.\n- The paper provides:\n  - (i) the most comprehensive estimates of energy subsidies currently available for 176 countries; and\n  - (ii) an analysis of “how to do energy subsidy reform,” drawing on insights from 22 country case studies undertaken by IMF staff and analyses carried out by other institutions.\n- Publication date: January 28, 2013.\n- Subjects: Energy sector, Energy taxes, Fiscal reforms, Subsidies."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings",
      "content": "- While aimed at protecting consumers, subsidies:\n  - aggravate fiscal imbalances;\n  - crowd-out priority public spending;\n  - depress private investment, including in the energy sector.\n- Subsidies distort resource allocation by:\n  - encouraging excessive energy consumption;\n  - artificially promoting capital-intensive industries;\n  - reducing incentives for investment in renewable energy;\n  - accelerating the depletion of natural resources.\n- Distributional effects:\n  - Most subsidy benefits are captured by higher-income households, reinforcing inequality.\n- Environmental effects:\n  - Increased energy consumption driven by subsidies contributes to global warming, affecting future generations."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Coverage and supporting work",
      "content": "- Estimates cover 176 countries.\n- Analysis draws on 22 country case studies undertaken by IMF staff and other institutional analyses.\n- The IMF eLibrary offers over 25,000 IMF publications in multiple formats."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Availability and languages",
      "content": "- Also available in français.\n- Also available in العربية.\n\nSource: Energy Subsidy Reform - Lessons and Implications, January 28, 2013, International Monetary Fund.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Energy Subsidy reform--Lessons and Implications; IMF Policy Paper; January 28, 2013\n  - Energy Subsidy reform--Lessons and Implications; IMF Policy Paper; January 28, 2013 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Energy Subsidy reform--Lessons and Implications; IMF Policy Paper; January 28, 2013 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/policy-papers/issues/2016/12/31/energy-subsidy-reform-lessons-and-implications-pp4741"
    }
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    "Published: January 28, 2013",
    "Series: Policy Papers",
    "Energy subsidies have wide-ranging economic consequences.",
    "The paper provides:",
    "Publication date: January 28, 2013.",
    "Subjects: Energy sector, Energy taxes, Fiscal reforms, Subsidies.",
    "While aimed at protecting consumers, subsidies:",
    "Subsidies distort resource allocation by:",
    "Distributional effects:",
    "Environmental effects:",
    "Estimates cover 176 countries.",
    "Analysis draws on 22 country case studies undertaken by IMF staff and other institutional analyses.",
    "The IMF eLibrary offers over 25,000 IMF publications in multiple formats.",
    "Also available in français.",
    "Also available in العربية.",
    "**Energy Subsidy reform--Lessons and Implications; IMF Policy Paper; January 28, 2013**"
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