por admin » Mar Abr 27, 2010 10:18 am
Bernanke dice que US necesita un plan para recortar el deficit pronto
Le pide a Obama urgentemente que revise como se puede cambiar el sistema de impuestos.
Bernanke dijo que una economia es mas fuerte cuando su estructura de impuestos no son muy altos y son cobrados de manera eficiente, de igual manera y en forma transparente.
El codigo de impuestos actual no satisface esos criterios y debe ser cambiado.
Bernanke dijo que ultimadamente US tendra que decidir entre subir impuestos, recortar los beneficios del Social Security (pension) o Medicare (sistema de salud) o recortar los gastos de todo desde educacion hasta defensa. Enfatizo que es una prioridad el reformar el codigo de impuestos.
Bernanke ya habia alertado de que el deficit del pais es insostenible. El presupuesto de Obama alcanzara $1.3 trillones o 10.6% del GDP, el mas alto desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
Obama dice que reducira el deficit a 3.9% para el 2014 pero esa cifra todavia esta por encima del 3% que los economistas consideran sostenible.
Si todo sale como esta previsto Obama piensa que la deuda aumentara arriba del 71% del GDP (PBI) los proximos dos anios, muy por encima del 53% en el 2009.
El no actuar de inmediato pone a la recuperacion de la economia americana en riesgo.
Bernanke no menciono a Grecia por nombre pero dijo que la perdida de la confianza de los inversionistas puede en si significar falta de estabilidad.
La historia ha mostrado de manera muy clara que el no alcanzar la sostenibilidad fiscal, reduce el standard de vida de los ciudadanos del pais, aumenta el riesgo de la economia y la estabilidad financiera del pais.
Bernanke Says U.S. Needs Budget Deficit-Cutting Plan Soon
By LUCA DI LEO
WASHINGTON—Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday the U.S. needs to soon come up with a plan to cut the budget deficit, urging President Barack Obama's debt commission to look at how the tax system can be changed.
Speaking to the bipartisan commission, Mr. Bernanke stressed that an economy is stronger when taxes aren't too high and are collected in an efficient, equitable and transparent way.
"At present, a broad consensus exists that the U.S. tax code does not satisfy these criteria and is in need of reform," Mr. Bernanke said in prepared remarks to the first meeting of the commission, which was hosted by Mr. Obama.
"I suspect that it is too much to ask the commission to review the tax code in detail, but a full picture of our budgetary dilemma will require attention to the strengths and weaknesses of our current system of raising revenue," the Fed chief said.
The commission is chaired by former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, and includes Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the House and Senate. The group is expected to make recommendations on how to reduce the budget deficit by Dec. 1.
Mr. Bernanke said the U.S. will ultimately have to decide between raising taxes, cutting Social Security or Medicare, or spending less on everything from education to defense. Although he didn't make any specific recommendations, he signaled that changes to the tax system should be a priority.
In recent congressional hearings, Mr. Bernanke has warned lawmakers that U.S. budget deficits aren't sustainable. President Obama's 2011 budget proposal forecasts a record deficit of $1.6 trillion, or 10.6% of gross domestic product, the highest level since World War II. The government plans to reduce that to 3.9% of GDP by fiscal 2014, but that would still be above the 3.0% of GDP that economists consider sustainable.
If all goes according to plan, the White House still expects the debt to rise above 71% of GDP over the next two years, from 53% of GDP in 2009.
Mr. Bernanke said that neither experience nor economic theory clearly indicates the threshold at which the public debt begins to endanger prosperity and economic stability.
"But given the significant costs and risks associated with a rapidly rising federal debt, our nation should soon put in place a credible plan for reducing deficits to sustainable levels over time," he said.
Lacking such a plan could bring higher long-term interest rates, putting the economy's recovery at risk, Mr. Bernanke warned.
Although he didn't mention Greece by name, the Fed chief said that a loss of investor confidence in the ability of a government to achieve fiscal sustainability can itself be a source of "significant" instability.
"History makes clear that failure to achieve fiscal sustainability will, over time, sap the nation's economic vitality, reduce our living standards, and greatly increase the risk of economic and financial instability," Mr. Bernanke said.