This staff report on People’s Republic of China 2013 Article IV Consultation highlights macroeconomic developments and outlook. China has maintained robust growth since the global crisis, but the heavy reliance on credit and investment to sustain activity is raising vulnerabilities. The...

This Paper discusses Pakistan’s Third Review Under the Extended Arrangement and Request for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion (PC).The economy is showing signs of improvement. The FY2013/14 growth projection has been revised upward from 3.1 percent to 3.3 percent, as...

Following the 2008/9 financial crisis and deep recession, a cyclical recovery took hold in Ukraine, supported by a stronger external environment. Efforts to consolidate public finances and repair the banking system began strengthening Ukraine’s resilience to external shocks. More...

The Article IV Consultation discusses the IMF Executive Board’s assessment of economic developments and policies in Switzerland. With the exchange rate floor in place for more than one year, the Swiss economy has been relatively stable. Although overall export growth is weak, the external...

Fiscal performance has been broadly in line with program targets. As a result, the current account deficit has narrowed, reserves have increased significantly, and headline inflation is under control. However, implementation of structural benchmarks has lagged, necessitating sharper focus and...

This 2014 Article IV Consultation highlights that the GDP growth in Bhutan has slowed from about 10 percent in FY2011 (July 1–June 30) to 5 percent in FY2013. Slower growth reflects policy efforts to contain overheating pressures in the form of restrictions on credit for construction and...

Building on recent work on the role of speculation and inventories in oil markets, we embed a competitive oil storage model within a DSGE model of the U.S. economy. This enables us to formally analyze the impact of a (speculative) storage demand shock and to assess how the effects of various...

This staff report on United States 2013 Article IV Consultation highlights economic policies and development. The economy grew at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the first quarter of 2013, held down by sharp cuts in public spending, and economic indicators suggest that growth has remained weak...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Context: Sudan is a fragile state mired in a heavy debt burden, international sanctions, and volatile domestic and regional political environments. These problems, together with limited revenue mobilization, are constraining Sudan’s growth prospects and poverty reduction...