The main findings are as follows: (1) an increase in private national saving during 2001-03 was the key contributor to the turnaround in Pakistan''s external current account during this period; (2) while Pakistan''s growth was mainly export-led before 2003-04, it was largely led by domestic...

A study by the author published in 1988 proposed the hypothesis that export instability depends upon the level of industrialization of the exporting country and the position of exports in the product cycle (growth or mature products). This paper provides further empirical evidence in support of...

Islam proposes the replacement of an interest-based financial system with one which operates on the basis of risk and profit sharing. Using a general equilibrium model, this paper investigates some open-economy implications of the adoption of Islamic banking for growth and stabilization of the...

The role of trade in the global economy is at a critical juncture. Increased trade integration helped to drive economic growth in advanced and developing economies in the latter part of the 20th century. Since the early 2000's, however, a slowdown in the pace of trade reform, a post-crisis...

This paper considers the problem of allocation of investment for a debtor country that faces a ceiling on the amount of foreign debt it can accumulate. It shows that it is optimal for the debtor country to create a more open economy by favoring investment in the export sector over investment in...

Export credit agencies (ECAs) have played a critical role in financing for developing countries in recent years, and officially supported export credits have been growing in volume. The current export credit exposure to developing countries and economies in transition has reached almost half a...

Updates the Board on progress in the WTO negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda in the run-up to the Hong Kong SAR Ministerial in December, and presents proposals on aid for trade to be submitted to the Development Committee and International Monetary and Finance Committee in September...

This paper summarizes recent developments in the Doha Round negotiations, and aid for trade. As requested by the Development Committee last September, it reviews existing mechanisms for cross-country and regional aid for trade needs. It proposes possible options to overcome the coordination and...

At their 2005 Spring meetings, the Development Committee and IMFC called on the Bank and Fund to work with others to develop more detailed proposals, for consideration at the Annual Meetings, to help developing countries adjust to and take advantage of the Doha Round. In response, Bank and Fund...

This note presents the IMF staff's assessment of recent macroeconomic developments in Mauritius and the authorities' reform strategy to address the negative impact of the loss of preferential access for the textile and sugar sectors and to raise potential growth. Drawing on the findings of an...