Boosting fiscal space: the roles of GDP-linked debt and longer maturities

B-Tier
Journal: Economic Policy
Year: 2020
Volume: 35
Issue: 104
Pages: 587-634

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

SUMMARYThis paper assesses how issuance of GDP-linked debt and longer-maturity debt, in comparison to short-term debt, can help boost fiscal space for a given path of primary balances. By explicitly linking debt service to repayment capacity, GDP-linked debt helps to stabilize the debt ratio under growth uncertainty and reduces default risk through risk sharing with investors. Longer-maturity nominal debt also helps reduce default risk via state-contingent variation in the market price of debt. Reduced default risk in both cases lowers borrowing costs and results in higher maximum sustainable debt levels (and fiscal space given initial debt) for a given path of primary balances. Simulation results suggest sizable gains in fiscal space from the introduction of these instruments, though debtor moral hazard could militate against these benefits.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:ecpoli:v:35:y:2020:i:104:p:587-634.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26