Fiscal space Fiscal space Fiscal space is the flexibility of a government in its spending choices, and, more generally, to the financial well-being of a government. Peter Heller (2005) defined it “as room in a government’s budget that allows it to provide resources for a desired purpose without jeopardizing the sustainability of its financial position or the stability of the economy.” There are different exact definitions for the term, and different metrics on how to measure it. The most influential definitions of the term come from international institutions, e.g., the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the United Nations agencies,
Fiscal transparency or of elements of budget transparency, are available from: In addition to the revision of the IMF Fiscal Transparency Code, the global financial crisis also prompted more widespread reflection on the effectiveness of the existing international arrangements to promote fiscal transparency and accountability. One outcome of this was the creation of the Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency (GIFT) in 2011. GIFT is a multi-stakeholder action network that aims to “Advance and institutionalize global norms and significant, continuous improvements on fiscal transparency, engagement, and accountability in countries around the world.” GIFT’s Lead Stewards are the World Bank, the IMF, the International