Fiscal illusion and its repercussions on financial sustainability in selected rentier economies, with special reference to Iraq

A thesis submitted to Council of the College of Administration and Economics – University of Karbala which it part of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Economic Sciences

By the submiited

Zainab J.Abd al-Hussein Al-Dami

Supervised by prof. Mohammed H. Kadhim Algburi

Abstract

       The research deals with the relationship between fiscial illusion and financial sustainability and how fiscial illusion affects financial sustainability negatively in rentier economies represented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iraq, by taking main indicators for each of the two concepts. The indicators of fiscial illusion are (allocation accuracy index, spending productivity index General, Fiscal Space Index, Fiscal Discipline Index) while financial sustainability indicators were chosen (the ratio of debt to GDP, the tax gap index). The research hypothesis focused on the fact that fiscial illusion has a negative impact on financial sustainability, and with the presence of fiscial illusion, it cannot Achieving financial sustainability. The study also assumed that fiscial illusion has an impact on financial sustainability in Iraq and the sample countries, and the impact of the sample countries is less severe than the Iraqi economy. The importance of the research was represented by studying the basic indicators of illusion and financial sustainability in the sample countries and Iraq in order to indicate the level of each variable in The sample countries and how the realization of fiscial illusion, even if in varying proportions, leads to the lack of financial sustainability or its little achievement. The aim of the research is to analyze the indicators of fiscial illusion and financial sustainability in Iraq and the sample countries, with an explanation to what extent indicators of fiscial illusion can contribute to the lack of financial sustainability. Achieving financial sustainability is achieved, and the study reached a number of conclusions, including the necessity of diversifying the state’s public revenue sources and not relying on rentier revenues, which are characterized by fluctuation as a result of their connection to external factors outside the boundaries of the local economy, which causes them to be insufficient to confront revenues and thus move towards other sources of revenues, including Public debt. At the same time, consumer expenditures occupy the largest share of public spending, which causes many problems for the economy, the most important of which is the high deficit in the state’s general budget. This is a fundamental obstacle to financial sustainability, and the rules of financial discipline are not applied to public expenditures and public revenues in Iraq. And the sample countries correctly.