The staff report for the Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility on Georgia focuses on economic developments and policies. The fiscal situation deteriorated sharply in 2003, especially because of a weakening in expenditure management and in tax...

This paper examines Madagascar’s Sixth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Madagascar’s performance under the program in 2004 has been broadly satisfactory, particularly in light of the difficult economic environment that...

This paper analyzes the historical and current energy booms of Trinidad and Tobago, and points out the main policy issues during boom times. It provides practical suggestions on the long-term management of the expected resource windfall in Trinidad and Tobago, and outlines theoretical guidelines...

This paper presents key findings of the Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Bolivia. Bolivia is a country that is perceived as having one of the best structural reform records in Latin America but experienced sluggish per capita growth, and made virtually no progress in...

This Statistical Appendix paper for the periods between 1996/97 and 2001/02 for Nepal discusses both nominal and real gross domestic product by sector; savings and investments; agricultural production and yields; Manufacturing Production Indices; energy consumption; tourism indicators; Consumer...

Following satisfactory economic and financial performance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility-supported program, performance was mixed. Benin should pursue a prudent debt-management policy with the support of the newly created debt committee. Implementation of the structural reform...

This paper examines Mali’s 2001 Article IV Consultation, Third Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), Third Annual Program, and Request for Modification of Performance Criteria. Program implementation to date has been satisfactory, with all quantitative performance...

Chad has succeeded in recent years in broadly maintaining macroeconomic stability and a high growth rate of economic activity. There has been a significant effort to formulate the detailed modalities for the use of oil revenues so as to ensure that oil revenues are used transparently and...

This Selected Issues paper for the Kingdom of the Netherlands—Netherlands underlies recent fiscal developments. Fiscal deterioration during economic slowdowns is not unusual and can be justified on economic grounds. Although the real spending ceilings were largely adhered to, procyclical...

Executive Directors commend the government for successfully completing the Living Standard Measurement Survey. There is a need to improve governance, and the fight against corruption has to be prioritized crosscutting all reforms in the strategy. Maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment...