Foreword -- Background -- Prerequisites for sustainable fiscal reform -- Session 1: The political economy of budgetary issues -- The Bank's work in fiscal adjustment -- The illusion of fiscal adjustment -- Fiscal adjustment in the OECD and Latin America -- Elements of sustainable fiscal adjustment -- Summing up -- Floor discussion -- Session 2: Incentives and outcomes in fiscal adjustment -- The effect of fiscal reform on the poor in Africa -- The practitioner's view: the process and instruments of reform -- Fiscal outcomes in Latin America -- Public expenditure reform and Bank conditions on adjustment lending -- Instruments of reform -- Floor discussion -- Summing up -- Closing remarks

The paper reports on the findings regarding fiscal reform, a crucial component of the Bank ' s structural adjustment lending. Based on an assessment, dated 1997, of fiscal adjustment in twenty six countries, and, amplified by the Seminar of experts, the paper focuses on two aspects of fiscal adjustment: the political economy of fiscal reform, and budgetary decisions; and, the incentives for, and outcomes of, fiscal discipline. On the first aspect, the need for political commitment, within the governments ' highest levels, was emphasized as critical to support reforms, for, evidence suggest that successful adjustment, imply reduction in the public sector wage bill, - controversial to any political arena - and, further indicates, that strong government support, will prod the reforms that, a coalition government might not. On the second aspect, internal incentives for fiscal discipline, and, the balance between a government ' s allocation of expenditures, and its ability to manage its own fiscal processes, and institutions, were examined, along with the role of foreign aid in budgetary issues. Several recommendations emerged from the Seminar, mainly, to include poverty alleviation, and equity considerations, in public expenditure reform, and, that adequate indicators for performance monitoring - for both tax, and expenditure reforms -, should be built-in reform programs.