This paper takes stock of the current state of development of the financial systems in five Central European transition economies (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia) that are also leading EU accession candidates. It presents both a progress report and an...

Croatia continues to enjoy economic growth, price stability, and rising international reserves under the Stand-By Arrangement. Executive Directors commended this and stressed the need for prudent macroeconomic policies, structural reforms, fiscal consolidation, and tight monetary policy. They...

Until recently, Croatia's economic performance was the envy of many countries in transition: a successful stabilization effort in late 1993 was followed by virtual price stability and real GDP growth of 6 percent a year during 1994–97. Monetary tightening, the weak economy, and a...

The first review of the three-year PRGF arrangement approved on May 2, 2001, has been delayed to give the authorities time to rectify weaknesses in program execution during a four-month consolidation period by meeting specified revenue and expenditure targets set for that period. The medium-term...

Croatia achieved progress in restoring control over the public finances. Executive Directors welcomed the comprehensive economic program, with its focus on the fiscal deficit and tax reductions, wage discipline, and structural reforms in the context of a stable exchange rate. They stressed the...

Haiti’s financial system plays a limited role in supporting economic growth. The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) team assessed that financial sector data are generally adequate, although the unavailability of some statistics has weakened the analysis. Stress tests suggest that...

This paper presents the Financial Sector Stability Assessment Update on the Russian Federation. Indicators of bank soundness and performance are broadly favorable but credit risk poses a challenge over the medium term, and capitalization should rise to support continued banking sector...

This paper investigates the generalized parametric measurement methods of aggregate operational risk in compliance with the regulatory capital standards for operational risk in the New Basel Capital Accord ("Basel II"). Operational risk is commonly defined as the risk of loss resulting from...

This paper studies how Uruguay's regulatory framework was gradually strengthened to address shortcomings identified during the 2002-03 crisis, to align with international standards and, more recently, to deal with cyclical pressures resulting in an acceleration of bank lending. In particular,...