Economic developments and growth of Jamaica are discussed in this paper. Despite the good performance under the program through end-September, mounting spending pressures and delays in some fiscal reforms have required the adoption of corrective measures by the authorities. The authorities...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This paper asks 1) whether reliance on Eurobond financing over the medium term is consistent with sound debt management policy and 2) whether Macedonia can reasonably expect Eurobond borrowing costs to fall in the future. The main conclusions are that Eurobond financing appears justified in the...

This paper provides the most comprehensive empirical study of the effectiveness of macroprudential instruments to date. Using data from 49 countries, the paper evaluates the effectiveness of macroprudential instruments in reducing systemic risk over time and across institutions and markets. The...

This study characterizes volatility dynamics in external emerging bond markets and examines how prices and volatility respond to news about macroeconomic fundamentals. As in mature bond markets, macroeconomic surprises in external emerging bond markets are found to a¤ect both conditional...

This paper analyzes the capital markets and financial intermediation in the Baltic States. It provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and level of development of the financial system, discussing some of the unique characteristics of the Baltics, such as leasing; and comparing the...

Economic activity is weak, but showing incipient signs of a recovery. Domestic financial markets remain stable and the growth outlook has improved. Better prospects for agriculture, mining and quarrying, and construction are expected to increase growth. Macroeconomic performance under the...

Jamaica has been stuck in a cycle of low growth and high debt dynamics. It has been severely impacted by the global economic slowdown, and finances have deteriorated. Jamaica’s objective of virtually eliminating the overall public sector deficit is appropriate. Embedding the medium-term...

Jamaica has performed well under the Stand-By Arrangement program. Executive Directors commended that overall macroeconomic performance under the program has been encouraging. Directors welcomed the program aimed at fiscal responsibility legislation and central treasury management, public debt...

The report says that Macedonia continues to pursue sound economic policies that are consistent with the program supported by the Precautionary Credit Line (PCL) arrangement. The authorities strengthened debt management policies and improved access to external funding and developed a domestic...