This paper seeks to draw lessons from the IMF’s experience in handling financial crises around the globe over the past ten years that are relevant to the challenges faced by countries in Latin America, especially in the wake of the recent crisis in Argentina. Experience suggests that...

This paper examines the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Jordan’s fiscal transparency. Government activities are generally distinguished from those of public financial institutions, which carry out quasi-fiscal activities. Government holdings of fully owned corporations,...

The Czech government has made further progress in improving fiscal transparency that was already high by international standards. The measures implemented to broaden the coverage of general government data have been commended. Improved reporting on fiscal risks, including those arising from...

This report assesses the Observance of Standards and Codes on Fiscal Transparency for Bangladesh. Bangladesh has made significant progress in recent years toward addressing longstanding problems of fiscal reporting and meeting basic requirements of fiscal transparency. Measures are in hand to...

This report provides an assessment of fiscal transparency practices in Guatemala in light of the requirements of the IMF Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency. The assessment reveals that Guatemala has progressed in certain important aspects of fiscal transparency. A variety of measures...

The goal of the monitoring program is to develop a medium-term economic and structural reform program that could be supported by renewed donor growth, including from the poverty reduction and growth facility. Monetary policy will need to be geared toward reducing inflation and stabilizing the...

The report focuses on the social sectors, agriculture, and governance. However, the report fails to highlight the importance of tackling decisively certain structural reforms that are critical to achieving the poverty reduction objectives of sustaining growth and reducing poverty. The...

Rwanda’s Second and Third Reviews under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and request for Waiver of Performance Criteria are discussed. After an extended period characterized by a strong expansion of economic activity, real GDP growth is estimated by IMF staff to have slowed to...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) focuses on the Second Annual Progress Report for Zambia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The government’s strategy to reduce poverty focuses on promoting economic growth through macroeconomic stabilization and diversification and...

In the social sectors, encouraging results were obtained in education. The Ten-Year Education Program was finalized, creating a solid basis for the implementation of actions in this sector. According to the most recent estimates, the basic enrolment rate was 41.7 percent in 2002 compared with...