The adjustment of public déficit in the presence a high debt: observations about the Brazilian case

This article examines the obstacles to public sector adjustment arising from theexistence of a high level of government debt in the form of short-term or floating interestrate obligations. In this context, adjustment programmes that rely exclusively on increasesin taxation and/or reductions in non-f...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Jr., Paulo Nogueira Batista
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:1989
Country:Brasil
Institution:EDITORA 34
Repository:Revista de Economia Política
Language:Portuguese
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs2.centrodeeconomiapolitica.org:article/1628
Online Access:https://centrodeeconomiapolitica.org.br/repojs/index.php/journal/article/view/1628
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Ajuste fiscal
dívida pública
política fiscal
Fiscal adjustment
public debt
fiscal policy
Description
Summary:This article examines the obstacles to public sector adjustment arising from theexistence of a high level of government debt in the form of short-term or floating interestrate obligations. In this context, adjustment programmes that rely exclusively on increasesin taxation and/or reductions in non-financial government expenditures have limited possibilitiesof success. Besides making the budget highly vulnerable to increases in external andinternal interest rates, the size and composition of Brazilian public debt severely restrict theeffectiveness of monetary and exchange-rate policies. The article concludes that under presentcircumstances a successful stabilization programme would have to involve fiscal adjustment,a shock treatment against inflation, and a restructuring of government debt. JEL Classification: H63; E62.