The paper provides an overview of recent economic and social developments in Cameroon. The state and the dynamics of poverty has been analyzed. The pillars of the short- and medium-term growth and poverty reduction strategy have been described. The paper provides a quantitative assessment and...

This report summarizes the improved Intermediate Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) of Madagascar, and the new policy orientation of the government. This strategy is based on an objective analysis and precise criteria. It presents the general framework of intervention of the PRSP and an...

This paper analyzes Central America's track record on inequality, poverty, and quality of fiscal adjustment in relation to economic growth; health and education outcomes; adequacy of social safety nets; and governance. It then assesses the degree to which the track record can be traced to...

This paper discusses implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) in Mauritania. The second phase of the PRSP is accompanied by a Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2006–10. MTEF determines the overall cost of the action plan in terms of both current and capital...

Large fiscal financing needs, both in advanced and emerging market economies, have often been met by borrowing heavily from domestic banks. As public debt approached sustainability limits in a number of countries, however, high bank exposure to sovereign risk created a fragile inter-dependence...

This technical note on financing of the private sector for Mexico describes the evolution, composition, and determinants of financing to the nonfinancial private sector in Mexico between 2000 and 2005. Equity issuance has not played an important role in financing the private sector in Mexico...

This Selected Issues paper on the Philippines reviews the diminished volatility of the Republic of Philippines bonds (RoPs), even through a period of extended turbulence cannot be attributed solely to the sanguine global factors currently prevailing across all credit markets. Considerable fiscal...

This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that following an extended boom led by strong domestic demand, the slowdown in the United States has largely reflected a drag from residential investment as the housing market has weakened substantially. Unexpected weakness in business investment and...

In this study, the stability of Germany’s financial sector after the global crisis is discussed. The stability issues are explained in terms of financial system vulnerability and the banking system. Financial soundness indicators (FSIs) prove the stability of the banking system. A stress...