Employing cointegration techniques, the long-run determinants of Madagascar's real exchange rate are examined from a stock-flow perspective. The long-run behavior of the real effective exchange rate is explained by the net foreign asset position and factors affecting trade flows. An index of the...

This paper offers guidance on the operational aspects of official intervention in the foreign exchange market, particularly in developing countries with flexible exchange rate regimes. A brief survey of the literature and country experience is followed by an analysis of the objectives, timing,...

Although theory suggests that the real exchange rate should depreciate after a credible trade liberalization but could appreciate temporarily with a noncredible one, little empirical evidence exists. Unlike existing studies that use either indirect tests or unreliable openness measures, this...

The Zimbabwean economy has deteriorated progressively over the past four years. Executive Directors expressed deep concern about this, and stressed the need to implement strong macroeconomic, monetary, fiscal, and structural policies. They urged the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to ensure that banks...

The Libyan economy remains saddled with extensive controls, restrictions, and subsidies that continue to distort prices and resource allocations, hinder efficiency and competitiveness, and impede the performance of the economy. Executive Directors commended the liberalizing of the economy, and...

This paper provides a brief overview of the evolution of exchange rate policy in the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1993 to 2002 and reviews the basic criteria for the choice of the exchange rate regime in the medium term. The analysis highlights the merits of an intermediate regime which would...

This paper introduces a time-varying threshold autoregressive model (TVTAR), which is used to examine the persistence of deviations from PPP. We find support for the stationary TVTAR against the unit root hypothesis; however, for some developing countries, we do not reject the TVTAR with a unit...

This paper analyzes the informational efficiency of OTC currency options on the Czech koruna and the Polish zloty correcting for the volatility risk premium and errors-in-variable problems, using state-of-the-art techniques (Chernov 2001). It finds that these markets are more efficient than...

This detailed assessment report focuses on antimoney laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) for Armenia. The report reveals that Armenia’s financial system remains small and bank dominated. Total assets of the banking sector accounted for approximately 91 percent of...

This report provides a summary of the Antimoney Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) measures in effect in the Union of the Comoros on the date of or shortly after the onsite visit. It describes and analyzes these measures, indicates the level of the Union of the...