The paper documents institutional reforms that have taken place in the government debt markets of many industrial countries since the early 1980s, and investigates the impact of three key changes: (i) the move from relationship financing to market funding; (ii) the introduction of options; and...

As a companion piece to the Board paper on Structural Reforms and Macroeconomic Performance: Initial Considerations for the Fund, this paper presents a selection of case studies on the structural reform experiences of member countries. These papers update the Board on work since the Triennial...

This Selected Issues Paper on Iran reviews that monetary factors are the main determinants of inflation in the country. Government spending out of oil revenues leads to large liquidity injections that the central bank accommodates owing to its efforts to prevent a significant nominal...

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s 2008 Article IV Consultation underlies that the economy is showing signs of overheating owing to high oil prices and a significant policy stimulus. IMF policy advice has focused on measures to reduce inflation and structural reforms aimed at stimulating growth...

This paper outlines the recent progress in developing Islamic financial instruments for the management of monetary policy and public borrowing requirements and provides details on new instruments currently being developed in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Sudan. The paper also touches on the...

The Islamic Republic of Iran inherited a highly centralized economy. The state-owned enterprises had monopolies over large sectors of the economy, including the financial system. This was compounded by Iran's excessive dependence on the volatile oil exports. Iran's five-year development plan...

In this paper, the following statistical data are listed: economic indicators, central government operations, balance of payments, monetary survey, GDP by sectoral origin, gross domestic expenditure at current prices, production, exports, and domestic consumption of oil, natural gas production...

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that real GDP growth has slowed following the decline in oil prices, the non-oil fiscal position has become tighter, and banks’ financial situation has weakened. The recent approval of an ambitious energy price reform by...

This 2002 Article IV Consultation for the Islamic Republic of Iran states that the overall macroeconomic developments in 2001/02 were marked by sustained economic activity in the non-oil sector, improved fiscal and external positions, and declining inflation trends. Against a background of...

This Selected Issues paper discusses the economics of energy price reform in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Economic policies in Iran have traditionally relied on the abundant availability of energy at a low price to finance the country’s economic development. Low domestic energy prices have...