One-year-ahead forecasts by the OECD and by national institutes of GDP growth and inflation in 13 European countries are analysed. RMSE was large: 1.9 % for growth and 1.6 % for inflation. Six (11) OECD and 10 (7) institute growth forecast records were significantly better than an average growth forecast (the current year forecast). All full record-length inflation forecasts were significantly ...

In line with the priorities set by the OECD Bologna Process on SME & Entrepreneurship Policies and the Istanbul Ministerial Declaration (June 2004), the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Local Development (CFE) participates actively in Working Group 4 of the MENA-OECD Investment Initiative on Investment and Governance for Development through Output 3: “Improving the Policy Environment ...

The Main Economic Indicators (MEI) has traditionally published a range of OECD zone aggregates for the narrow money and broad money concepts of monetary aggregates. These zones have been compiled on a fixed weight basis, with the weights being updated every five years coinciding with the change in OECD base year, the last update being in the summer of 2004 with the introduction of base year 200...

This article looks at how healthcare IT can save hospitals and health services valuable funding and how these saving compare to the costs involved. The chief barriers to success and possible solutions to these difficulties are outlined. The author also points to the need for government intervention in implementing healthcare IT on a board scale. RICHARD HILLESTAD, PHD SENIOR MANAGEMENT SCIENTIS...

FOREWORD The work of the Public Management Committee (PUMA) on regulatory reform-built over ten years-has provided substantive input and other extensive support to the development, organisation, and policy direction of the regulatory reform programmes in OECD Member countries. PUMA's emphasis is on regulatory quality-combining both good regulation where needed to protect health, safety, and the...

1 : Head of the Rural Transformation and Sustainable Development Unit, Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC/OECD), 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris, Cedex 16 ; Tel +33 1 45 24 19 82; e-mail: [email protected] 2 : Agricultural-economist, Rural Transformation and Sustainable Development Unit, Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC/OECD), 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 Paris, Cedex 16; Tel +33 1 45 24 ...

This paper focuses on the evolution of productivity in the telecommunications industries for 13 OECD countries over the period 1979-1998. It uses Data Envelopment Analysis, a non-parametric approach that allows decompositions of changes in productivity into variations in efficiency and technical change. Moreover, it tests the existence of convergence in labor and total factor productivity level...

Public and private expenditure on educational institutions accounts for about 6% of the collective GDP of the OECD member countries, or roughly $1,300 billion dollars each year. This figure understates the true opportunity cost of educational investments, since it does not take into account forgone earnings. Overall, it should be clear that the provision of education represents a major commitme...