The Dutch consolidation package in a comparative perspective
Dirk Kraan, OECD
The paper discusses briefly the current fiscal situation in the OECD area. Subsequently, an overview is given of the consolidation efforts, currently undertaken in a large majority of OECD countries, including the Netherlands. This part of the paper makes use of the recent OECD study “Restoring Public Finances” produced for the Working Party of Senior Budget Officials. Next the paper discusses the work that the OECD has done on the political economy of consolidation, that is to say on the conditions that determine whether consolidation will actually happen. Finally the paper will consider the Dutch consolidation package of the current cabinet. The paper looks at the size, composition and specificity of the package and at credibility of the package in the light of the institutional conditions prevailing in the Netherlands.
About the speaker
Dirk Kraan is senior economist in the Budgeting and Public Expenditures Division of the Directorate of Public Governance of the OECD. He leads the OECD Value for Money project. This project is initiated by 12 advanced OECD countries in 2009. The aim of the project is to develop options for budgetary savings as well as options for improvement of public service delivery that can be realized without call on additional resources. The study focuses on the organization of central government. As part of the project country assessments have been produced of Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands. Currently the Value for Money team is working on country assessments of Sweden and Norway. Dirk Kraan also co-ordinates the network of Senior Budget Officials of Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries. This network meets annually to discuss topics of common interest and to discuss reviews of national budget institutions produced by the OECD Secretariat. Dirk Kraan contributes to the bi-annual OECD publication "Government at Glance" and is responsible for the public expenditures and revenue data of that publication. Dirk Kraan has led or contributed to many OECD studies in the area of budgeting and public finance management, most recently to the OECD study "Restoring Public Finances".
Venue: Conference Room
Date: 06 October 2011
Time: 12:30 - 01:30 CET
