Debt of Communes in the Light of a New Individual Debt Ratio Cover Image

Zadłużenie Gmin W Świetle Nowego Indywidualnego Wskaźnika Zadłużenia
Debt of Communes in the Light of a New Individual Debt Ratio

Author(s): Łukasz Satoła
Subject(s): National Economy, Governance, Economic development, Public Finances, Fiscal Politics / Budgeting
Published by: Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie
Keywords: budget; self-government debt; public finance; individual debt ratio (IDR); debt of communes;

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the impact of a new individual debt ratio on the communes’ possibilities to incur obligations. It presents also a classification of restrictions used to limit self-government debt in the selected member states of the European Union. Changes caused by a new Act on public finance in the field of debt in the self-government sector were presented. All self-government units at the level of communes in Poland (2,479 entities) were analyzed. It was indicated that the financial position of communes is a key factor determining their possibilities to incur debt. Along with deterioration in the financial position, the number of communes showing the operating surplus was decreasing, which resulted in reduction in individual debt ratios. Upon introducing statutory amendments, the communes, when planning budgets, began to introduce corrective actions which were supposed to lead to increase the potential of incurring credit obligations.

  • Issue Year: 14/2015
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 103-113
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English