{
  "title": "On Improving Public Expenditure Policies for the Poor: Major Informational Requirements",
  "publication": "IMF Working Papers, May 1, 1993",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/30/on-improving-public-expenditure-policies-for-the-poor-major-informational-requirements-1050",
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  "summary": "An improvement in the quality of public expenditures is needed in many countries, given binding macroeconomic and fiscal constraints, and poverty reduction and distributional objectives.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Executive summary and purpose",
      "content": "- An improvement in the quality of public expenditures is needed in many countries, given binding macroeconomic and fiscal constraints, and poverty reduction and distributional objectives.\n- The paper reassesses methodology used by countries and international agencies, and the data needed for improved decision making.\n- The paper reviews methods that might be used by international agencies, such as the Fund and the Bank, jointly with:\n  - a survey of data currently available,\n  - required improvements in the data currently available,\n  - required improvements in the information base.\n- The scope for improvements in governments' expenditure policy making is also considered."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Major findings (methodology and data)",
      "content": "- Current methodologies for assessing public expenditure policies often require reassessment to better align with poverty reduction and distributional objectives.\n- Available data limitations constrain effective public expenditure policy formulation.\n- Improvement areas highlighted include:\n  - expenditure data quality and granularity,\n  - integration of government accounting systems with public expenditure analysis,\n  - better linkage between national accounts, government finance statistics, and microdata on income and consumption patterns."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy implications and recommendations",
      "content": "- Strengthen the information base to support more effective public expenditure decisions targeted at the poor.\n- Improve government accounting systems and payroll data to better capture expenditure profiles and public spending on pay and national defense.\n- Enhance country desk and country-level analytical capacity to interpret aggregate expenditure ratios and expenditure profiles for policy design.\n- Foster joint methodological approaches between international agencies (the Fund and the Bank) to harmonize assessments and data requirements."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Scope and thematic coverage",
      "content": "- Subject areas covered: Defense spending, Economic and financial statistics, Education, Expenditure, Government finance statistics, Income, National accounts.\n- Keywords and concepts emphasized: aggregate expenditure ratio, consumption pattern, expenditure data, expenditure profile, expenditure scale, government accounting system, Government finance statistics, national defense, pay, payroll data, public expenditure, public goods, standard of living, Sub-Saharan Africa.\n\n---\n\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/wp/issues/2016/12/30/on-improving-public-expenditure-policies-for-the-poor-major-informational-requirements-1050"
    }
  ],
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    "Authors: Nigel A Chalk, Ehtisham Ahmad",
    "Published: May 1, 1993",
    "Series: IMF Working Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451846270.001",
    "An improvement in the quality of public expenditures is needed in many countries, given binding macroeconomic and fiscal constraints, and poverty reduction and distributional objectives.",
    "The paper reassesses methodology used by countries and international agencies, and the data needed for improved decision making.",
    "The paper reviews methods that might be used by international agencies, such as the Fund and the Bank, jointly with:",
    "The scope for improvements in governments' expenditure policy making is also considered.",
    "Current methodologies for assessing public expenditure policies often require reassessment to better align with poverty reduction and distributional objectives.",
    "Available data limitations constrain effective public expenditure policy formulation.",
    "Improvement areas highlighted include:",
    "Strengthen the information base to support more effective public expenditure decisions targeted at the poor.",
    "Improve government accounting systems and payroll data to better capture expenditure profiles and public spending on pay and national defense.",
    "Enhance country desk and country-level analytical capacity to interpret aggregate expenditure ratios and expenditure profiles for policy design.",
    "Foster joint methodological approaches between international agencies (the Fund and the Bank) to harmonize assessments and data requirements.",
    "Subject areas covered: Defense spending, Economic and financial statistics, Education, Expenditure, Government finance statistics, Income, National accounts.",
    "Keywords and concepts emphasized: aggregate expenditure ratio, consumption pattern, expenditure data, expenditure profile, expenditure scale, government accounting system, Government finance statistics, national defense, pay, payroll data, public expenditure, public goods, standard of living, Sub-Saharan Africa."
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