In this paper we construct indices of transparency of monetary and financial policies, based on self-evaluations carried out by 135 IMF member countries in 1999, and use them to identify transparency patterns across different policies and country groups. We find that across all countries,...

This paper presents Mongolia’s Financial System Stability Assessment, including reports on the Observance of Standards and Code. The Mongolian financial system is developing and performing well, in line with the economy as a whole, but faces a number of challenges. There are signs that the...

This paper reviews the trade-offs in Switzerland, focusing on challenges for fiscal policy coordination. It reviews the benefits and costs of a highly decentralized government, describes the Swiss institutional architecture, and analyzes Switzerland’s fiscal performance. It also discusses the...

This Selected Issues paper attempts to quantify the impact of the demographic shift on growth and public finances in Switzerland. It examines the intertemporal consistency between current policy plans and unfunded liabilities, focusing primarily on social security, and explores policy options....

This Selected Issues paper takes a close look at the proximate determinants and short-term dynamics of inflation in Switzerland. It identifies salient features of the inflation experience in Switzerland. The paper uses a wage-price model to gauge the sensitivity of inflation to the business...

In Switzerland, institutionalized expenditure restraints via budget rules have been in use for some time at the cantonal level and for various city budgets. Under the proposed rule for the federal government, spending limits are set by the government although the parliament is primarily allowed...

This paper discusses a Detailed Assessment of the Observance of the IMF Code of Good Practices on Transparency in Monetary and Financial Policies (MFPT Code)—Banking Supervision for Italy. Banca d’Italia (BI) notes the assessment’s recognition of the very high degree of compliance of the...

This Selected Issues paper examines economic growth in Switzerland. It attempts to analyze whether slow growth is inescapable for Switzerland. The paper suggests that income convergence across countries contributes significantly to slow relative growth in Switzerland, but experience in several...

This technical note on Transparency of Monetary Policy on the Republic of Belarus highlights the open process for formulating and reporting of monetary policy discussions. The National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB) displays a satisfactory degree of transparency in formulation and...

This paper presents an update to the Czech Republic’s Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) on Fiscal Transparency, Banking Supervision, Insurance Regulation, Securities Regulation, Payment Systems, and Monetary and Financial Policy Transparency. The Czech Republic continues...