This paper discusses Burkina Faso's Third Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement. Policies and reform implementation under the ECF-supported program have been satisfactory. All end-June 2019 quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets were met as well as all,...

This Selected Issues paper reviews the evolution of inequality in Ethiopia and discusses the role of various macroeconomic policies as well as structural factors. With a Gini coefficient of 30, Ethiopia remains among the most egalitarian countries in the world. The most vulnerable households...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Cameroon's economy has shown resilience in the face of the twin shocks of the oil price slump and heightened security threats, with the robust growth of 2014 continuing into 2015. Growth is broad-based and projected to reach 5.9 percent in 2015,...

This Selected Issues paper examines recent performance and reform agenda for Cameroon's state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Cameroon's SOEs are important providers of formal employment and have a large weight in the economy. The profitability and financial autonomy of SOEs have deteriorated in...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Mali's program performance through June was strong, with all performance criteria and most structural benchmarks met. The 2016 program features a somewhat higher fiscal deficit compared with 2015 to allow for increased public investment and...

This Selected Issues paper examines growth, structural transformation, and diversification in Mali. At present, the majority of Mali's population is employed in low-productivity agriculture, and the secondary sector is underdeveloped. Further structural transformation and diversification of...

This paper discusses Cote d'Ivoire's Eighth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement. The macroeconomic outlook remains strong with high projected growth rates supported by sustained improvements in the business climate and rising private investment, including in large...

This paper discusses Niger's Sixth and Seventh Reviews Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria (PC), Request for Augmentation of Access, and Extension of the Current Arrangement. Niger's growth slowed in 2015 owing to lower...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that bold economic reforms undertaken in mid-2012 in Malawi transformed the policy environment and greatly improved the outlook of the economy. Over 2012-14, real GDP growth and inflation averaged 4.3 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively. The...

This Selected Issues paper develops a framework to study the macroeconomic and distributional implications of alternative Farm Input Subsidy Program (FISP) reforms in Malawi. The FISP is one of the largest social expenditure items in Malawi, aimed at improving food security and reducing poverty....