This paper examines the recent difficulties experienced in U.S. agriculture, and discusses the role played by government policies, in particular reviewing recent developments in those policies. Studies of the extent and costs of agricultural protection in the United States and other major...

This paper analyzes the determinants of growth in 25 transition economies during 1990–97. The paper’s main finding is that macroeconomic stabilization, structural reform, and reduction of government expenditures are key to achieving sustainable growth. Although the initial effect of reforms...

Dutch macroeconomic statistics are generally in accordance with internationally accepted standards and guidelines on concepts and definitions, scope, classification and sectorization, and basis for recording. They are also available with periodicity and timeliness that always meet, and sometimes...

Niger’s overall macroeconomic statistics is a picture of contrasts. Establishing the National Statistical Institute (INS) and giving it a clear and precise mandate is a step in the right direction. Accuracy and reliability suffer from the weakness of data sources, notably in national...

The Dominican Republic has been working with the IMF to become a participant in the General Data Dissemination System, and already meets many of the recommendations and some of the encouraged categories for dissemination of macroeconomic statistics. The Dominican Republic has a statistical...

Australia’s statistics are of a high quality. Based on the review of its statistical practices, a set of recommendations is presented designed to increase its adherence to internationally accepted statistical practices. The aim of the review is to enhance the usefulness of...

The Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC)—Data Module provides an assessment of Botswana’s macroeconomic statistics against the recommendations of the General Data Dissemination System, complemented by an assessment of data quality based on the IMF’s Data...

There are 22 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with floating exchange rate regimes, de jure. Some target the money supply or the inflation rate; others practice "managed floating." Statistical analysis on monthly data for the past decade reveals that in most cases these exchange rate regimes...

This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) on the Data Module on El Salvador reviews summary assessment of data quality. Dissemination of data subject to the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) is in observance of all SDDS specifications, including data...

This Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) provides a review of Georgia’s data dissemination practices against the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System (GDDS), complemented by an in-depth assessment of the quality of the national accounts, consumer price index,...