The 2007 Article IV Consultation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands explains fiscal policy and financial sector issues. Improvements in the macroeconomic and business environments and technological innovation have contributed positively to Dutch competitiveness. Executive Directors emphasized...

This paper presents a technical note on Mexico’s Financial Sector Assessment Program update. The Mexican experience displays interesting characteristics that provide lessons for other countries that still need to design the decumulation phase of their newly established second pillars. The...

This paper discusses the Financial System Stability Assessment for South Africa, and reviews the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Securities Regulation. The assessment reveals that South Africa’s sophisticated financial system is fundamentally sound and has so far...

The Financial System Stability Assessment found the financial sector to be vibrant, resilient, highly competitive, and well supervised and regulated. Stress tests showed credit institutions and insurers to be highly resilient to a variety of shocks. It also found a high degree of observance of...

This paper presents the Slovak Republic’s Financial System Stability Assessment Update including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Banking Supervision and Insurance Regulation. Commercial banks are by far the dominant financial institutions, though nonbank financial...

The recent crisis and interest rate declines have put the financial sustainability of the Dutch occupational pension system under severe strain. The benefit-cutting measures have been received by the public as an unexpected and almost unknown option inherent in the pension contracts. Adding to...

A technical note on the stress test of Israel’s banking, insurance, and pension sectors is presented. The Israel Financial Sector Assessment Program Update stress testing exercise comprises a comprehensive analysis of solvency and liquidity risks of key banking and insurance institutions....

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix for the Kingdom of Swaziland assesses the interaction of nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs) within the financial system and the real economy. Understanding the type of flows will help in designing policies to better manage capital flows and...

The key findings of Mauritius’s Financial System Stability Assessment update are discussed. The Mauritian financial system has been resilient to recent economic shocks, and banks have adequate capital buffers against a range of shocks to their credit portfolios and liquidity positions....

Portugal’s economic adjustment has continued, but the contraction in output has been milder than expected. The 2012 outlook for Europe has deteriorated substantially, with growth revised down by 1¼ percentage points relative to spring forecasts. Substantially higher capital...