From the 2002 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), a number of structural reforms have been carried out in the financial system. A number of measures have been taken in the regulatory, fiscal, and legal areas to improve credit quality and financial transparency. The stress test confirms...

Switzerland was hard hit by the global crisis; however, the 1.5 percent contraction in 2009 compares favorably with most industrial countries. This 2010 Article IV Consultation highlights that after a year-long decline in real GDP, the economy exited the recession in mid-2009. In response to the...

This 2008 Article IV Consultation highlights that problems in the housing and financial markets over the past year have combined to slow the United States’ economy substantially. As the residential investment downturn accelerated and national indices of housing prices started falling,...

The Euro Area Policies’ 2007 Article IV Consultation reports that the economy is poised for a sustained upswing because of cyclical considerations and policies, which have had a forward-looking cast. The area’s external position and the real effective exchange rate of the euro are...

Most banks in Paraguay appear resilient to shocks, although the exposure to large borrowers is high. The mission strongly recommends the adoption of measures that would moderate credit growth and induce financial institutions to build cushions that can protect them and their clients from a...

This paper examines Uruguay’s Request for a Stand-By Arrangement. Although the external current account shifted to a moderate deficit, mainly reflecting the recovery in imports, export performance has been robust, and gross international reserves are now about three-fourths their...

This paper examines the impact of macroeconomic and financial sector policy announcements in the United States, the United Kingdom, the euro area, and Japan during the recent crisis on interbank credit and liquidity risk premia. Announcements of interest rate cuts, liquidity support, liability...

The staff report for the 2003 Article IV Consultation on Kuwait highlights the economic developments and policies. The macroeconomic position over the medium term under current oil price expectations and the maintenance of a cautious policy stance is projected to weaken, but is not expected to...

This paper examines the emergence of financial stability as a key policy objective. It discusses the underlying trends in the financial system, as well as the role of finance in relation to money, the real economy, and public policy. Financial stability is defined in terms of its ability to help...