Economic developments in 2000 have dominated by the strength of the balance of payments. Real GDP has grown by 7.5 percent in 2000, but the momentum has slowed during the year. The external current account surplus is estimated at US$45 billion (18 percent of GDP) in 2000, driven by the sharp...

Non-oil GDP growth in Syria may have risen to about 51⁄2 percent in 2005, from 5 percent in 2004, buoyed by business investment and supported by household consumption and non-oil exports. Private consumption was boosted by rapid credit growth, a boom in real estate prices triggered by capital...

Jamaica has achieved considerable success in reducing inflation, restructuring the financial system after the crisis in 1995–96, and further liberalizing the economy through tariff reduction and privatization. The government is urged to strengthen its efforts to put the economy on a less...

Until recently, Croatia's economic performance was the envy of many countries in transition: a successful stabilization effort in late 1993 was followed by virtual price stability and real GDP growth of 6 percent a year during 1994–97. Monetary tightening, the weak economy, and a drying-up of...

During 1996–98, the measured fiscal deficits have substantially underestimated the extent of the fiscal problem in Slovakia. Amid these signs of vulnerability, the present government has assumed office in October 1998, and embarked on policies to restore macroeconomic balances and lay the...

After three years of recession, the economy grew by 2.9 percent in 2000, supported by a revival of investment in primarily foreign-owned firms and a modest increase in household consumption. Against the background of a still nascent recovery, fiscal policy was expansionary in 2000, with the...

The current slowdown in the Norwegian economy has followed an exceptionally prolonged phase of expansion. The current slowdown in economic growth is expected to continue. Over the longer term, the public finances face challenges as oil revenues begin to run out and pension liabilities escalate....

The Dominican government’s main policy objective is to create the basis for the sustained growth of output and employment through economic diversification and financial stability. The structure of the economy has continued to shift away from banana production, with services gaining importance...

Sound macroeconomic management, supported by structural reform, has characterized Albania's performance under the current Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement, although poverty and emigration remain pervasive. Privatization is moving forward in the telecommunications sector...

This 1999 Article IV Consultation highlights that real GDP growth in Malta in 1997 and 1998 continued the declining trend. The contribution to demand from net exports offset weaker growth of real consumption and investment. Export volumes rose by 3 percent and 5 percent in 1997 and 1998,...