Ukraine’s economic downturn has been sharper than originally envisaged, mostly reflecting the deterioration of the external environment. The staff report examines Ukraine’s first review under the Stand-By Arrangement, requests for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria,...

This Selected Issues paper quantifies the macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy in Spain, focusing on the external sector. It describes the stylized facts of the Spanish economy and presents an econometric analysis. It examines Spain’s growth and productivity performance in relation to a...

This Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix paper assesses Romania’s external competitiveness by reviewing recent developments in a range of standard indicators and estimating equilibrium real exchange rates. The results suggest that, although Romania’s historical cost advantage vis-à-vis...

This note compares patterns of domestic investment in Serbia with those in other central and eastern European countries, noting the relationships with external balances. The structure of participation and employment rates suggests a need for analysis of the impact of labor market institutions on...

The paper assesses the competitiveness of Swiss exporters, and shows that the effect of nominal exchange rate on trade balance depends on the degree of exchange rate pass-through and on trade elasticities. It highlights that the degree of exchange rate pass-through should also be factored in...

The staff report for the 2007 Article IV Consultation on Bhutan explains the macroeconomic setting, economic developments, outlooks, risks, and challenges. Bhutan’s economic prospects are bright. Construction of two hydropower projects will help sustain real GDP growth over the medium...

The Iranian economy recovered on the strength of international oil prices, strong rebound in agricultural sector, and rapid credit expansion. Inflation was contained while fiscal and external positions improved. Key policy priorities are to maintain short-term macroeconomic stability, transition...

During the twin crises of 2008–09 Georgia’s foreign exchange reserves have been exposed to a number of external and internal drains. Its exports declined by 21 percent from peak to trough. Bank deposits declined by more than 20 percent in late 2008–early 2009, while deposit...

To help economic adjustment in the midst of the global economic crisis, an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) was supported by IMF resources. The cause of Mongolia’s crisis in 2008–09 and its resolution and design and outcomes of the program are also discussed. The trigger for...

The government of Georgia moved forcefully to counter the economic impact of the August 2008 conflict with Russia and global financial crisis. Monetary and prudential policy easing was, however, unable to prevent a sharp credit squeeze. The economy is recovering at a solid pace, with real GDP...