This paper examines Colombia’s 2002 Article IV Consultation and Request for Stand-By Arrangement. The economic situation worsened in the first half of 2002. Economic activity has remained sluggish, and the fiscal consolidation has gone off-track. Exacerbated by increased contagion from...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that a cyclical recovery is under way for Italy, with real GDP having risen by 1.2 percent in the first three quarters of 2004 relative to the same period of the previous year, thanks to the favorable external environment and a recovery of investment....

This paper presents findings of Financial System Stability Assessment for the Netherlands, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Banking Supervision, Securities Regulation, Insurance Regulation, and Corporate Governance. Overall, the financial system is sound, resilient...

This paper assesses the financial sector regulation and supervision in Bermuda in the context of the offshore financial center assessment program. The assessment reveals that the financial, regulatory, and supervisory framework is well developed in banking, the key areas of securities...

This paper focuses on the nexus between pension funds' balance sheet liabilities, reflecting their age profile and payments obligations, and the investment behavior and costs of these funds. The context of the analysis is the stringent regulatory framework and the highly fragmented and...

The increasing ability to trade credit risk in financial markets has facilitated its dispersion across the financial and other sectors. However, specific risks attached to credit risk transfer (CRT) instruments in a market with still-limited liquidity means that its rapid expansion may actually...

In today's financial system, complex financial institutions are connected through an opaque network of financial exposures. These connections contribute to financial deepening and greater savings allocation efficiency, but are also unstable channels of contagion. Basel III and Solvency II should...

This report is an analysis of the insurance core principles of Malaysia. This assessment gives a clear understanding of the regulatory and supervisory framework of the insurance sector of Malaysia. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is the best insurance regulator in this region. Six percent of the...

This technical note focuses on the Austrian banking system that exhibits considerable resilience against shocks determined by stress tests. The main sources of risk lie in the credit risk arising from exposures to Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESE) and the Commonwealth of...