KEY ISSUES Context. The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is going through a period of output fluctuations. The economy expanded in FY2012 by 3.2 percent, supported by export growth, but in FY2013 is estimated to have slowed to 0.8 percent due to the postponement of infrastructure projects....

KEY ISSUES Context: The tightening of global liquidity has increased external pressures and heightened the focus on India’s macroeconomic imbalances (high inflation, large current account and fiscal deficits) and structural weaknesses (particularly supply bottlenecks in infrastructure, power...

KEY ISSUES Context: A slowdown in growth in major emerging market economies (EMEs) and decline in commodity prices, and more recently, a reversal in push factors tied to a prospective exit from extraordinarily easy global monetary conditions, has put pressure on Indonesia’s balance of payments...

KEY ISSUES Context. After a decade of strong growth, Papua New Guinea (PNG) now faces a sharp slowdown in the nonmineral sector as construction winds down on a large liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. LNG revenue increases are expected to be modest and oneoff over the near to medium term,...

Pre-COVID-19, economic policies under "Abenomics" helped ease financial conditions, exit deflation, and raise labor market participation, but fell short on the deep reforms needed to raise productivity and achieve inclusive and sustainable growth. The Japanese economy is now recovering from the...

KEY ISSUES Context. Raising growth and ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability remain the two critical issues of the FSM. The reform agenda, in particular, the tax reform package and growth-enhancing reforms, hinges on achieving a national consensus in a loosely federated nation. Outlook. The...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that after a sharp contraction in the first quarter of 2014, Thailand’s economy experienced a modest recovery in subsequent quarters, to expand by 0.7 percent in the year as a whole. Inflation decelerated toward the end of 2014 and became negative...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Mongolia’s medium- to long-term prospects are promising given its large natural resources. In the near term, however, the country continues to face balance-of-payments (BOP) pressures on account of low foreign direct investment and weak...

This paper discusses Sri Lanka's Sixth Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility and Request for Waiver of Nonobservance and Modification of Performance Criterion. The Sri Lankan economy is gradually recovering from the impact of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks....

The New Zealand economy slowed considerably in 2023, following a period of strong growth, and some previous significant imbalances are finally correcting. Tight monetary policy has put inflation on a meaningful downward path but remains high. Some of the overvaluation in housing prices has also...