Effects of fiscal consolidation in Western Balkan Countries

Milenko Krajišnik, Dragan Gligorić, Biljana Gojković
2019 Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci : časopis za ekonomsku teoriju i praksu  
The global economic crisis has not spared the countries of the Western Balkans. The ensuing recession, characterized by a decline in economic activity, a decline in consumption and an increase in unemployment, went hand in hand with drops in public revenues. This in turn resulted in budget imbalances that manifested in structural budget deficits and higher public debt. Fiscal consolidation was deemed necessary across the board. In this process, certain fiscal policy elements varied among
more » ... es. The structure of public revenues and public expenditures changed. The question is whether the fiscal consolidation was successful and to what extent. Dynamic panel analysis using PMG estimator in six Western Balkan Countries for the period 2004-2016 has shown that fiscal consolidation has positive impact on economic growth in this region. So, Western Balkan Countries have to conduct responsible public finances in order to encourage economic growth.
doi:10.18045/zbefri.2019.2.527 doaj:bfcdb3c84a9a42d4a393db1d2d0d700d fatcat:rr5qz7jmujff3oebv7cdsnhana