OECD Economic surveys: Greece 2009 Coll. ECONOMIE

OECD's periodic review of Greece's economy. This 2009 edition examines how well Greece is weathering the economic crisis. It also looks at how to bring Greece's public finances on to a sustainable path, how to improve the performance of the public health care system, and how to raise education outcomes. Greece has weathered the economic crisis relatively well, but putting public financing on a sustainable path will require strengthening tax administration and tighter expenditure management. Greek health outcomes compare favourably with the OECD average but the system is seen as not working well by the population. Greece's educational indicators lag behind those of other OECD countries and OECD makes wide-ranging recommendations in this report.

Assessment and Recommendations. Chapter 1. Weathering the International Crisis. Although weakened, the Greek economy has stood up quite well to the initial impact of the crisis. Greece is, however, unlikely to avoid a recession. How should fiscal policy react?. -Is the Greek financial sector well armed to face the economic and financial crisis? The authorities should give priority to reforming the public sector. Structural reforms on labour and goods markets must be pursued. Annex 1.A1. Progress in structural reform. Chapter 2. Enhancing Fiscal Viability. Enhance revenue performance with a special focus on taxation. Achieving a better control of primary expenditure. The projected surge in pension spending threatens the stability of public finances. Chapter 3. Improving the performance of the public health care system. Performance and main challenges. The organisation of the health care system impairs its efficiency. The quality and efficiency of public health care services need to be improved. Conclusions and recommendations. Annex 3.A1. Data envelopment analysis. Anenx 3.A2. A new mechanism for monitoring prescriptions for drugs. Chapter 4. Raising Education Outcomes. An overview of the education system. Education outcomes. How to improve the performance of the education system?