Pension reform, the stock market, capital formation and economic growth: a critical commentary on the World Bank's proposals

Singh, Ajit (1996): Pension reform, the stock market, capital formation and economic growth: a critical commentary on the World Bank's proposals. Published in: International Social Security Review , Vol. 49, No. 3 (1 July 1996): pp. 21-44.

Abstract

Abstract

Proposing far-reaching reforms to the pension systems, the World Bank has recently suggested that the existing pay-as-you-go pension systems in many rich as well as poor countries, should be replaced by fully funded, mandatory, preferably private pensions, as the main pillars of the new system. It argues that these reforms will not only benefit the pensioners, but also enhance savings, promote capital formation and economic development. This paper provides a critical examination of the Bank's theses and concludes that it has adopted a one-sided view of the relationships between the key critical variables. The proposed reform may therefore neither protect the old nor achieve faster economic growth.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Pensions, World Bank, private, mandatory, economic development, savings
• Subjects: E - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics > E2 - Consumption, Saving, Production, Investment, Labor Markets, and Informal Economy; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I10 - General

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