The global economic crisis has had a profound impact on people’s well-being, reaching far beyond the loss of jobs and income, and affecting citizens’ satisfaction with their lives and their trust in governments, according to a new OECD report.

Firstly, and most importantly, this year marks Japan’s golden jubilee: 50 years as a member of the OECD. Japan was our first Asia-Pacific member country, and has paved the way to strengthen the OECD’s ties within the region. This year, for the second time, Japan is chairing our Ministerial Council Meeting – the most important annual decision-making event of the Organization, said Angel Gurría.

Mr. Angel Gurría was in Japan from 6 to 10 April 2014 to commemorate the country’s 50th anniversary of membership of the Organisation. The OECD Secretary-General was received in Audience by Crown Prince Naruhito, and held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Abe, to whom he presented the report “OECD Better Policies Japan - Advancing the Third Arrow for a Resilient Economy and Inclusive Growth”.

Due to serious concerns about the extremely low level of enforcement of Japan’s offence of bribing foreign public officials – just three prosecutions since 1999 – the OECD Working Group on Bribery recommended in December 2013 that Japan establish an Action Plan to organise police and prosecution resources to be able to proactively detect, investigate and prosecute cases of foreign bribery by Japanese companies.

While the outlook for many OECD countries remains subdued, Emerging Asia is set for healthy growth over the medium term. Annual GDP growth for the ASEAN -10, China and India is forecast to average 6.5% over 2015-19. Growth momentum remains robust in the 10 ASEAN countries, with economic growth averaging 5.6% over 2015-19.

This publication highlights new evidence on policies to support job creation, bringing together the latest research on labour market, entrepreneurship and local economic development policy to help governments support job creation in the recovery. It also includes a set of country pages featuring, among other things, new data on skills supply and demand at the level of smaller OECD regions (TL3).

It was with immense sadness that I learned of the tragic execution of Kenji at the hands of the terrorists from Islamic State. We strongly condemn this terrible and odious act, as well as other killings carried out by ISIS.

Mr. Gurría presented the 2015 OECD Economic Survey of Japan, held several meetings including with the Prime Minister, took part in the launch event for the Education 2030 project and delivered a keynote speech at the International Symposium on Corporate Governance and Japan’s Growth Strategy.

On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, shared his sustained support for the victims and their families.

The Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as well as several Ministers and high-level authorities of Japan. He spoke at a number of events and also presented the OECD Territorial Review of Japan and the publication Japan: Boosting Growth and Well-being in an Ageing Society.

The Secretary-General presented OECD’s recent analysis and recommendations on the world economy, on more balanced and efficient financial markets for growth, and on progress on the international tax system. He also spoke at the G7 High-Level Symposium “Future of the Global Economy”, organised by the Japanese G7 Presidency.

The Secretary-General attended the G7 Leaders’ Summit and spoke at the outreach sessions “Stability and Prosperity in Asia” and “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals”.

OECD Secretary-General was in Tokyo on 13-14 April 2017, on an official visit to Japan. During his visit, he presented the OECD Economic Survey of Japan 2017 and held hold bilateral meetings with several High Level Officials.

The OECD has appointed Masamichi Kono as a Deputy Secretary-General. He will replace Rintaro Tamaki, who will be stepping down after six fruitful years in the post.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, was in Tokyo on an official visit from 11 to 13 April 2018. He held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Abe as well as with several Ministers and high level Japanese officials.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, will be in Tokyo on 15-16 April 2019 on an Official visit to Japan, to present the OECD 2019 Economic Survey of Japan. During his visit, the Secretary-General will hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Abe, as well as several Ministers and other high-level Japanese officials.

International efforts to improve transparency via automatic exchange of information on financial accounts are improving tax compliance and delivering concrete results for governments worldwide, according to new data released today by the OECD.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría and Japan’s Minister of Finance Taro Aso presided today over a signing ceremony to establish a new centre of the OECD International Academy for Tax Crime Investigation in Wako, Japan.

Mr. Angel Gurría was be in Osaka, from 27 to 29 June 2019, to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with high-level officials attending the summit.

Exports to Ships/aircraft Stores CMLV in South Africa increased to 2709.92 ZAR Million in March from 1974.50 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Exports to Ships/aircraft Stores CMLV in South Africa averaged 3396.87 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 9272.36 ZAR Million in December of 2015 and a record low of 279.65 ZAR Million in January of 2016. South Africa accounts for Exports to Ships/aircraft Stores using cumulative values for each year (CMLV). This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Exports to Ships/aircraft Stores.

Exports to Ships & Aircrapft Stores (world Zone) in South Africa decreased to 735.41 ZAR Million in March from 833.73 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Exports to Ships & Aircrapft Stores (world Zone) in South Africa averaged 561.19 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 2052.33 ZAR Million in May of 2015 and a record low of 94.50 ZAR Million in April of 2014. This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Exports to Ships & Aircrapft Stores (world Zone).

Standard & Poor's credit rating for South Africa stands at BB- with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for South Africa was last set at Ba1 with negative outlook. Fitch's credit rating for South Africa was last reported at BB with negative outlook. In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of South Africa thus having a big impact on the country's borrowing costs. This page includes the government debt credit rating for South Africa as reported by major credit rating agencies.

In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of Myanmar thus having a big impact on the country's borrowing costs. This page includes the government debt credit rating for Myanmar as reported by major credit rating agencies.

As a further sign of international efforts to crack down on tax offenders, 12 more countries have signed, or committed to sign, the OECD’s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. In addition, another 6 countries have ratified the Convention.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, was in Vienna on Tuesday 2nd July 2013, to present the 2013 OECD Economic Survey of Austria and meet with representatives of the government.

There are few OECD countries where vocational education and training (VET) is held in such high regard or takes so many forms as in Austria. Some 60 percent of young Austrians aged between 25 and 34 have completed a VET course below tertiary level (vocational school or technical college).

The global economic crisis has had a profound impact on people’s well-being, reaching far beyond the loss of jobs and income, and affecting citizens’ satisfaction with their lives and their trust in governments, according to a new OECD report.

This publication highlights new evidence on policies to support job creation, bringing together the latest research on labour market, entrepreneurship and local economic development policy to help governments support job creation in the recovery. It also includes a set of country pages featuring, among other things, new data on skills supply and demand at the level of smaller OECD regions (TL3).

Austria has taken important steps to improve its school system, but needs to reform its complex school governance to further improve quality and equity, according to a new OECD report.

The Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with Federal Chancellor Christian Kern and several high-level Austrian officials.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, will be in Vienna on 5-6 March 2018, to visit the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), where he will meet with IIASA Senior Management as well as with researchers from Mexico.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, will be in Salzburg on 29-30 August 2018 to attend the Trilogue Salzburg “Taking Stock of Democracy - Still a Success Story or not Competitive Anymore?” event, organised by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, was in Vienna on 7-8 September 2018 to attend the Eurogroup Meeting / Informal Meeting of Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers (ECOFIN).

Standard & Poor's credit rating for Uruguay stands at BBB with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for Uruguay was last set at Baa2 with stable outlook. Fitch's credit rating for Uruguay was last reported at BBB- with negative outlook. DBRS's credit rating for Uruguay is BBB (low) with stable outlook. In general, a credit rating is used by sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other investors to gauge the credit worthiness of Uruguay thus having a big impact on the country's borrowing costs. This page includes the government debt credit rating for Uruguay as reported by major credit rating agencies.

Europe's sovereign debt crisis has exposed structural weaknesses in economic governance that now threaten the entire euro region. Efforts to reinforce public finances and preserve the currency union must go further than solutions proposed to date.

In most OECD countries tax revenues are continuing to rise in relation to GDP from the 2008-09 declines seen at the beginning of the crisis, according to OECD’s annual Revenue Statistics. OECD countries collected about 34.0% of GDP in taxes in 2011, compared with 33.8% in 2010.

OECD countries are intensifying their fiscal consolidation efforts, introducing additional measures and extending the time horizon to implement them. Most have announced fiscal consolidation of more than 3% of GDP over the period 2009-15, according to the OECD’s Restoring Public Finances 2012.

This paper looks at macro-prudential policies in the light of empirical evidence on the determinants of bank systemic risk, and the effectiveness of capital controls. It concludes that complexity and interdependence is such that care should be taken in implementing macro-prudential policies until much more is understood about these issues.

This paper investigates whether countries that had controls on inflows in place prior to the crisis were less vulnerable during the global financial crisis. More generally, it examines economic growth effects of such controls over the entire economic cycle, finding that capital restrictions on inflows (particularly debt liabilities) may be useful in good times but may have adverse effects in a crisis.

This article presents a brief overview of current financing difficulties for SMEs and policy measures to support SME lending during the crisis, and presents a literature review related to difficulties in SME’s access to finance during the crisis, against a background of a sharp decline in bank profitability and an erosion of bank capital that negatively affected lending.

This paper analyses the effects of government policies on flows of private finance for investment in renewable energy. It also examines whether direct provision of public finance for a project increases the volume of private finance raised. The analysis covers 87 countries, six renewable energy sectors (wind, solar, biomass, small hydropower, marine and geothermal).

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, was in Athens on 10-11 February 2015 on an official visit to Greece.

More than half a decade has passed since the most significant economic crisis of our lifetimes and a plethora of different interpretations has been offered about its origins. This paper consolidates the stylised facts put forward so far into a concise and coherent meta-narrative.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are fundamental for inclusive growth and jobs, but they need to broaden their sources of finance in order to reduce their vulnerability to volatile credit market developments, according to two new OECD reports.

This report responds to a request from the G20 that the IMF and OECD assess whether further work is needed on their respective approaches to measures which are both macro-prudential and capital flow measures, taking into account their individual mandates. The report was transmitted to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at their meeting on 16-17 April 2015 in Washington D.C.

The reforms to the pensions system in Mexico, especially the introduction of a system of individual defined contribution accounts, have significantly improved the system’s financial sustainability.

4-5 February 2016 - Mumbai, India‌‌: This seminar addressed emerging frameworks for financial consumer protection across Asia; financial markets and better outcomes for consumers; improving policy by analysing consumer complaints data; technology and alternative delivery channels and promoting financial consumer protection, inclusion and investor education.

Certain growth-promoting policies can have negative side-effects by increasing the vulnerability of economies to financial crises. Typical examples are greater openness to financial flows or more liberalised financial markets.

This paper describes and provides guidance on policy and practice relating to financial education for MSMEs and potential entrepreneurs in Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia.

Globalisation has failed to create a level playing field in trade, investment and corporate behaviour, being one of the factors contributing to a backlash against openness in many countries and a decline in confidence in government institutions.