Monday, 6 August 2012

MEDIA ADVISORY

Distinguished Economist to Visit New Zealand

Vito Tanzi on ‘Government versus Markets: The Changing Economic Role of the State’.

How have Western governments grown bigger and more indebted over time? How can they reform to put their finances on a more sustainable footing?

To answer these questions, The New Zealand Initiative is hosting ex-IMF director and world authority on fiscal policy, Vito Tanzi. Dr Tanzi is an Italian economist of international renown with expertise in public finance, economic development, and macroeconomics. His latest book is the culmination of decades of research under the title ‘Government versus Markets: The Changing Economic Role of the State’.

Dr Tanzi will speak at two events; one in Auckland on August 21st and one in Wellington on August 22nd.

In his talks, Dr Tanzi will outline the impact of both political philosophies and institutional environments on shaping state interventions in markets. By examining the evolution of government spending and the trade-offs made, he will propose realistic ‘exit strategies’ from the global fiscal crisis.

Dr Tanzi is known for the discovery of the Olivera-Tanzi effect, which describes the impact of inflation on revenue. His best known publication was co-authored with ECB economist Ludger Schuknecht in 2000. Public Spending in the 20th Century: A Global Perspective has been described as ‘[a] formidable work by formidable scholars, [which] should influence both academic and policy discussions.’

Dr Tanzi served as the director of the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department for 20 years, and has been affiliated with the IMF for almost three decades. He served as the Undersecretary for Economics and Finance in the Italian government and was Professor and Chair of Economics at the American University. Currently he is a non-affiliated consulting economist, scholar and author.

Dr Tanzi has authored 14 books and is a frequent contributor to well-regarded journals, such as The Journal of Political Economy and The Review of Economics and Statistics.

He holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University and five honorary degrees. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank, United Nations, European Commission, European Central Bank, Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, as well as The Stanford Research Institute.
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