Japan : Selected Issues.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

International Monetary Fund.

Series:

IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2012/209

IMF Staff Country Reports

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Interest rates--Japan.

Interest rates.

Monetary policy--Japan.

Monetary policy.

Industrial productivity--Japan.

Industrial productivity.

Real property--Prices--Japan.

Real property.

Japan--Foreign economic relations--Asia.

Japan.

Asia--Foreign economic relations--Japan.

Asia.

Japan--Economic conditions--1989-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (57 p.)

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Japan has a universal public pension system. Social security spending is a key fiscal policy challenge in Japan. The 2004 pension reforms have increased the ratio of the government subsidy to the basic pension benefit. Three reform measures are necessary to improve pension finances: an increase in pension eligibility age, a reduction in the pension benefit, and an increase in contributions. Eliminating the preferential tax treatments of pension income and collecting pension contributions from dependent spouses could contribute to fiscal savings.

Contents:

Cover; Contents; Executive Summary; I. Options for Pension Reform in Japan; A. Introduction and Main Findings; Figures; I.1. Japan: Population Aging in Japan and OECD Countries; I.2. Japan: Social Security Spending; B. The Pension System and Past Reforms in Japan; I.3. Japan: Public Pension System; I.4. Japan: NP and EPI Pension Spending and Contributions, 2010-2100; C. Pension Reform Options to Reduce the Fiscal Burden; Tables; I.1. Japan: Options to Reduce Government Subsidy for Basic Pension; Raise Pension Eligibility Age; I.5. Japan: Life Expectancy after Pension Eligibility Age, 2000-30

Lower Replacement RatioI.6. OECD Countries: Pension Eligibility Age and Life Expectancy in 2010 and 2030; I.7. Pension Benefit Replacement Rate for Single Earner Couples; Higher Contribution Rates; Reducing Preferential Treatments; I.8 Pension Contribution Rate, 2009; Boxes; I.1. Japan: How Does the Macro Indexing Work; I.2. Japan: Growth Impact of Pension Reform Options; I.3. Japan: Old-age Poverty in Japan and the Role of Pensions; Appendix I.1. Japan: Methodologies to Calculate Fiscal Savings from Reform Options; Raise Basic Pension Eligibility Age to 67; References

II. Japan's Growth Challenge: What Needs to be Done and What can be Achieved?A. Does Japan Have a Growth Problem?; B. How Can Growth be Raised?; Raising Labor Participation Rates; Female Labor Participation; Immigration-An Extraordinary Measure?; II.1. Growth Nexus: Long-term Care, Female Labor Force Participation, and Immigration; Opening Up Protected Sectors and Easing Regulations; A More Growth Supportive Financial Sector; International Integration; C. How Much Faster can Japan Grow?; References; II.1. Japan's Growth Challenge; III. Financial Policies to Support Growth

D. Policy Options to Support Credit GrowthE. Changing Financial Needs of the Private Sector; Households' Needs; Corporate Sector Expanding Overseas; Banks' Business Models; References

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781475507768

1475507763

9781475563528

1475563523