Prudent Fiscal Response for the Western Balkans Countries
Begins:
Apr 22, 2009 13:00
Ends:
Apr 22, 2009 16:00
INFO
Prudent Fiscal Response for the Western Balkans Countries
As a continuation of this three-year knowledge-sharing and peer-learning program, this first in a series of three events will include seven western Balkan countries. This event will cover the issue of prudent fiscal response choices that the participating countries might want to consider.
In many countries in the region automatic stabilizers are resulting in declining revenue and increasing expenditures. Moreover, the costs of potential bank recapitalizations and deposit guarantees are looming over budgets now under preparation. While some countries might want to consider countercyclical fiscal stimulus packages, access to international capital is tightening and becoming more expensive, and local financial markets are insufficiently developed to accommodate significant fiscal financing.
Accordingly the issue of the appropriate fiscal response to the crisis is moving to the forefront of policy discussions. The size, financability, composition and timeliness of the fiscal packages are critical and the session will uncover some of the essential elements of such fiscal efforts.
Please join us for a one-hour pre-video conference workshop at each location starting promptly at 13:00 hrs. CET
All sites including Washington will be linked during the pre-video conference workshop through an online collaborative tool where results of each workshop will be entered.
Discussion of the results will continue directly into the video conference, starting at 14:00 hrs. CET. Total event time 3.0 hours
Program Producers At World Bank, Washington: GDLN Studio2, Room MC-C2-123
Resource Expert: Mr. Luca Barbone, Director, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Dept, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank
Program Moderator: Mr. Gary Fine, Regional GDLN Coordinator, Europe and Central Asia Region, World Bank
All sites linked through Google Documents and Adobe Connect
14:00
Greetings and brief discussion with sites on results of the pre-conference workshop (based on online responses)
Mr. Gary Fine
14:35-14:45
Prudent Fiscal Response to the Financial Crisis
Mr. Luca Barbone
14:45-15:55
Open Discussion Between Sites
Mr. Luca Barbone Mr. Gary Fine
15:55-16:00
Wrap-Up
Mr. Luca Barbone
Participating Countries/GDLN Affiliates*
City/Country
Participating GDLN Affiliate or World Bank Country Office
Local World Bank Program Group Program Facilitator
Skopje, Macedonia
British Council GDLN Center
Mr. Evgenij Najdov
Pristina, Kosovo
British Council GDLN Center
Mr. Vito Intini
Zagreb, Croatia
CARNet GDLN Center
Ms. Sanja Madzarevic-Sujster Ms. Dubravka Jerman
Podgorica, Montenegro
World Bank Country Office
Ms. Danijela Vukajlovic-Grba Ms. Dragana Varezic
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
E-Net GLDN Center
Mr. Orhan Niksic Ms. Jasmina Hadzic
Tirana, Albania
British Council GDLN Center
Mr. Erjon Luci
Belgrade, Serbia
British Council GDLN Center
Ms. Margo Thomas Ms. Ana Budin Mr. Lazar Sestovic
*GDLN, or the Global Development Learning Network, is a partnership of distance learning centers worldwide dedicated to development. This event is coordinated by the Croatian Academic and Research Network - CARNet
SPEAKERS’ BIOS
Mr. Luca Barbone is the director of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) of the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA) of the World Bank, where he supervises, among many other subjects, work on financial crisis impact, public sector reform and migration and remittances issues across the region. He was previously the director for Poverty Reduction in the World Bank’s PREM Network, and prior thereto the Bank’s country director for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. Mr. Barbone holds a Doctorate in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Gary Fine is the Regional GDLN Coordinator and a Senior Private Sector Development Specialist in the Office of the Regional Vice President, Europe and Central Asia Region, where he also serves as the region’s coordinator for the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) and the GDLN Eurasia network of distance learning partners. A former investment banker and chief financial officer, he holds an MBA from Columbia University.
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