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15 Sep 23
New Zealand’s budget will not return to a surplus until 2026-27 according to its latest forecast – a year later than previously planned.
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4 Jul 23
Germany will not see tax rises in 2024 despite finance minister Chrisian Lindner’s insistence on returning the country to its ‘debt brake’ rule needing a €20bn austerity package.
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2 Jun 23
Last year governments in Western Europe saw revenue grow much faster than spending, but that is unlikely to be the case again in 2023, according to analysts.
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25 Apr 23
Stricter rules and stronger enforcement of the European Union fiscal framework would protect the bloc’s economy better than if those rules were loosened, according to Germany’s finance minister.
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24 Mar 23
Raising the French retirement age could benefit the government’s fiscal balance in the medium term after an initial negative impact, but the political fallout could hurt the president’s chance of...
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17 Mar 23
French president Emmanuel Macron has tried to bypass the National Assembly to raise the retirement age – a move he sees as vital to fixing public finances – sparking countrywide protests.
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28 Feb 23
Malaysia’s fiscal position remains at risk of shocks and political pressure after last week’s budget contained only gradual ambitions to cut the government deficit, ratings agency analysts have...
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12 Sep 22
European Union member countries will need to “assume ownership” of their compliance with the bloc’s fiscal rules under a new system with stronger enforcement from Brussels, the Czech finance minister...
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24 Aug 22
Prudent work on post-Covid recovery by Indonesia’s government has been praised by ratings analysts.
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17 Aug 22
Joe Biden has hailed his flagship Inflation Reduction Act as a historic victory for the environment, US families and the country’s public finances.
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15 Aug 22
High oil revenues will give Oman two years of budget surpluses, pushing its debt below many of its peers, and continuing reform efforts look set to keep its public finances on solid ground, ratings...
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11 Aug 22
The end of increased budget scrutiny on the Greek government closes a “difficult chapter” in its history and recognises the sacrifices made to reach financial stability, its finance minister has said...
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9 Aug 22
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has “materially hit” the outlook for Estonia’s public finances and economy, ratings agency Fitch has said while warning the government not to lose its focus on fiscal...
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1 Aug 22
The French government’s medium-term financial strategy has underestimated inflation, overestimated GDP growth and contains “not very ambitious” deficit reduction plans, a spending watchdog has said...
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1 Jul 22
Colombian public finances are still not in the clear despite rising tax revenue and strong economic growth, the country’s fiscal rule committee has warned.
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27 Jun 22
Pakistan’s prime minister has said a new “super tax” levied on big industries and a “poverty alleviation tax” on the country’s richest residents will cut the deficit and help fund measures aimed at...
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10 Jun 22
India’s high GDP growth following the initial shock from Covid-19 has helped boost confidence in the country’s public finances.
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1 Jun 22
Japan looks set to abandon a previous timeframe for balancing its budget, after a draft economic policy document suggested it could “distort” policy decisions in the government’s response to crises...
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18 May 22
The economic slowdown caused by strict Covid-19 restrictions in China could lead to a widening of local and regional government deficits this year, according to ratings agency S&P.
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9 May 22
Incoming Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves has said he will keep on top of debt payments, having previously said the government needs a new support package from the International Monetary Fund.
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6 May 22
The International Monetary Fund has urged “fiscal flexibility” from Ireland as the government faces the twin challenges of supporting the economy through inflation and keeping public finances...
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5 May 22
US president Joe Biden has boasted he will make an unprecedented reduction to the government deficit and pay down the national debt for the first time since 2016, taking aim at his predecessor Donald...
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4 May 22
New fiscal rules will underpin New Zealand’s “measured and balanced” return to government surpluses while allowing the south Pacific country to meet its massive infrastructure gap, according to its...
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28 Apr 22
Georgia’s land border with Russia and risk of military aggression is a credit negative for the former Soviet state and could impact future ratings, according to Moody’s.
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21 Apr 22
New Zealand’s strong resilience through Covid-19 means the nation is poised for continued growth in the coming years, according to ratings agency Moody’s.