should chinese local governments be allowed to issue bonds?
Author(s): Ligang Liu, School of Public Policy, George Mason University, USA. , ShaoqiangChen, Research Institute of Fiscal Science, Ministry of Finance, China.
Pages: 47-65
Year: 2005 Issue: 1
Journal: China & World Economy
Keyword: GetLinkList(KeywordFilter('local governmentdebt fiscalrules sub-nationalcapitalmarket'); 'kw'; 'CJFQ');
Abstract: Thispaper shows thatjust banning localgovernmentsfrom issuing debtshasnot eliminated thelocal government debtin many Chinese provinces. The paperthen advocates that local governments should be allowed to issue bonds, but subjectto some stringent fiscal rules. These fiscal rules should include a balanced-budget rule and a debt limit rule, similar to those already in place among the US states. Furthermore, such rules can only be made effective if theyare accompanied byparallelinstitutionalbuildingeffortssuch astransparent budgetprocessand budgetinstitutions,independentcreditrating agencies, properaccounting andauditing process, andotherinter-governmentalagenciesaimedatalleviatinginformation asymmetry of local government finances. Our domestic currency ratings indicatethat all Chinese provinces possess basic creditworthiness that will enable them to issue domestic currency bonds.
Pages: 47-65
Year: 2005 Issue: 1
Journal: China & World Economy
Keyword: GetLinkList(KeywordFilter('local governmentdebt fiscalrules sub-nationalcapitalmarket'); 'kw'; 'CJFQ');
Abstract: Thispaper shows thatjust banning localgovernmentsfrom issuing debtshasnot eliminated thelocal government debtin many Chinese provinces. The paperthen advocates that local governments should be allowed to issue bonds, but subjectto some stringent fiscal rules. These fiscal rules should include a balanced-budget rule and a debt limit rule, similar to those already in place among the US states. Furthermore, such rules can only be made effective if theyare accompanied byparallelinstitutionalbuildingeffortssuch astransparent budgetprocessand budgetinstitutions,independentcreditrating agencies, properaccounting andauditing process, andotherinter-governmentalagenciesaimedatalleviatinginformation asymmetry of local government finances. Our domestic currency ratings indicatethat all Chinese provinces possess basic creditworthiness that will enable them to issue domestic currency bonds.
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