This Technical Note assesses Corporate and Household Debt Restructuring in Serbia. As of June 2009, nonperforming loans (NPLs) in the banking system constituted 16.5 percent of total loans, owing primarily to the corporate sector. This marks a significant increase over 2008 and, despite a...

This report reviews the macroeconomic determinants of the rapid growth in the Spanish housing market, including various policy elements. It examines the vulnerabilities of households' finances as a result of the rapid growth of housing prices and mortgage debt. It also describes the Spanish...

This paper discusses Colombia’s 2005 Article IV Consultation, Fourth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), and Requests for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria. Real economic growth in Colombia recovered to 4 percent a year in 2003–04. The national unemployment...

This paper compares the effective rates of taxation faced by a representative investor located in a major capital-exporting country for investments in machinery and buildings in nine capital-importing European countries. Poland and Hungary are found to have relatively high effective tax rates on...

The Kyrgyz Republic is emerging from a deep political crisis. In April 2010, a popular uprising toppled the previous regime and internal ethnic conflict in June 2010 exacerbated the already difficult political situation. The crisis has adversely affected economic activity and near-term growth...

This 2011 Article IV Consultation reports that Peru’s activity is expected to decelerate in 2011–12 to slightly below trend while inflation declines toward the target and the external current account deficit remains contained. Short-term risks are markedly to the downside given...

The discussions centered on the needed steps to tighten monetary conditions, curb banks’ external borrowing, and reduce banks’ vulnerability to a sharp deterioration in the quality of loan portfolios. Strong expansion in oil and non-oil receipts in 2005 permitted continued rapid...