Inflation followed a strikingly uniform pattern in all countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia during the period 1996-2009, falling until about 2000 and then rising. International fuel prices do not help explain this pattern. This conclusion is robust even when different...

The impact of the 2009 tsunami on tourism and on the Samoan economy is likely to be substantial. The effectiveness of monetary transmission in Samoa has improved over time; however, it is still below international standards. The adverse impact of the crisis on the functioning of the banking...

In many countries, the activities of public enterprises have an important fiscal impact. While the precise nature of this impact is often obscured, it is important that it be reflected in measures of overall fiscal activity. The paper is intended to raise and clarify some of the issues involved...

In this study, the following statistical data are presented in detail: composition of gross domestic product, industrial production, civil employment by factor, agricultural production, electricity production and consumption, developments in wholesale and consumer prices, operations of the...

The Czech government placed high priority on implementing and observing the international standards relevant for financial stability. The supervisory staff exhibited a high understanding of best international supervisory standards, policies, and practices. Nevertheless, the report noted...

This paper presents an update to the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes—Fiscal Transparency Module for the Czech Republic. The paper reports on key developments in fiscal transparency since the last update in August 2003. It discusses that since the last update, the fiscal...

The Czech government has made further progress in improving fiscal transparency that was already high by international standards. The measures implemented to broaden the coverage of general government data have been commended. Improved reporting on fiscal risks, including those arising from...

This paper analyzes legal impact of the Articles of Agreement of the IMF on the business transactions of private persons and corporations. At the heart of the Articles is the simple idea that the member states of the IMF should observe certain rules of good conduct in monetary policy, and that...

This paper presents a financial system stability assessment update for the Czech Republic. The financial system is confronted with a number of growing risks. Owing to a high reliance of the Czech economy on exports to European Union (EU) countries, the main risk stems from negative developments...