Getting the Most Out of Public Sector Decentralisation in Spain

In about two decades, Spain was transformed from one of the most centralised countries to one of the most decentralised. Spending functions were devolved rapidly. The regions have exercised their discretionary powers quite extensively and innovative policies have been implemented. But devolution was...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor principal: Joumard, Isabelle (-)
Otros Autores: Giorno, Claude
Formato: Capítulo de libro electrónico
Idioma:Inglés
Publicado: Paris : OECD Publishing 2005.
Colección:OECD Economics Department Working Papers, no.436.
Materias:
Ver en Biblioteca Universitat Ramon Llull:https://discovery.url.edu/permalink/34CSUC_URL/1im36ta/alma991009706570006719
Descripción
Sumario:In about two decades, Spain was transformed from one of the most centralised countries to one of the most decentralised. Spending functions were devolved rapidly. The regions have exercised their discretionary powers quite extensively and innovative policies have been implemented. But devolution was also accompanied by a hike in public employment and pressures on public spending, reflecting duplication in resources and poor co-ordination across and between government levels. The recent devolution of taxing powers could raise the accountability of the regions and, thus, cost-consciousness, although their effective use has been limited. Securing fiscal discipline would require better information on sub-national governments’ policies and outcomes so as to allow citizens to press for improved performance. The financing system of the regions also needs to be reformed to ensure sustainability in the face of changing demographics, while the fiscal rules need to be upgraded to avoid recourse to off-budget operations. This Working Paper relates to the 2005 OECD Economic Survey of Spain (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/spain).
Descripción Física:1 online resource (47 p. )