Albania enjoyed strong growth with comparatively benign external vulnerabilities before the crisis. Monetary policy provided timely support, and the exchange rate functioned as a shock absorber. However, policy buffers are now exhausted and must be rebuilt. Fiscal tightening has to be quickly...

The Angolan government’s efforts to achieve macroeconomic stability to bring inflation and fiscal deficit considerably down are paying off despite high vulnerability to oil revenue shocks. The expected overall growth of up to 7 percent will be contributed to by increased oil production,...

The Second Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility of Rwanda explains macroeconomic challenges. Indicative limits on domestic debt have been established. If these limits are exceeded or inflation is rekindled, the domestic component of fiscal...

The success of Nigeria’s reforms brings new policy challenges for preserving and building on the reform gains. The immediate challenge is to enshrine a fiscal institution that ensures that fiscal policy is consistent with macroeconomic stability. Nigeria’s integration into the...

The labor market remains weak, disinflation has slowed, but falling wages are improving competitiveness. The weak economic environment is putting pressure on the banking sector. Financial conditions have deteriorated recently because of international financial market tensions. The Bank of Latvia...

Economic activity in the Kyrgyz Republic has been buffeted by the political upheaval, and output growth has fallen short of expectations. The program builds on the country’s entrenched fiscal prudence and features a tightening in monetary policy, so as to secure rapid sustained growth in...

The staff report for the 2007 Article IV Consultation on Angola highlights economic performance, macroeconomic stability, and fiscal policy. Growth in the medium term will rely increasingly on the non-oil sector, where reforms to promote private sector development will be critical to offset a...

This paper examines Peru’s 2002 Article IV Consultation, First Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement, and a Request for Modification and Waiver of Performance Criteria. The fiscal policy was tightened in early 2002 from the expansionary stance in the second half of 2001. The baseline...

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.

Peru showed commendable economic performance under the Stand-By Arrangement, owing to its strong fundamentals, prudent macroeconomic policies, and progress with structural reforms. Executive Directors commended these developments, and stressed the need to strengthen fiscal prudence,...