State Gains from “Error”

Fairly amazing story

The general Government debt is to be written down by 2.3 per cent, or €3.6 billion, following the detection of an accounting error.

The Department of Finance said the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) had notified it of a double count brought about a change in its relationship with the Housing Finance Authority.

Does this mean we can cancel the €3.6 billion budgetary adjustment? (Just kidding).  Now if only we could correct the “error” of supplying the IBRC with €31 billion in promissory notes, we’d be saved.

2011 Triennial Surveillance Review – External Study – An Evaluation of IMF Surveillance of the Euro Area

The report is available here.

The articles by Joe Stiglitz and Martin Wolf on the IMF’s surveillance role are also interesting.