The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) conducted a focused review of insurance regulation and supervision in Germany. This technical note (TN) provides an update on the insurance sector and highlights risks and vulnerabilities. It analyzes four key aspects of regulatory and supervisory...

Germany's macroprudential policy framework and toolkit are well developed. The FSAP found the institutional arrangements for macroprudential policy to be mostly sound and operating well. Capacity and expertise in risk monitoring is good, thanks to the analytical power and data access of the...

Clearstream Banking Frankfurt (CBF) is a highly interconnected financial market infrastructure that provides a critical service for German financial markets and beyond. CBF is the central securities depository (CSD) in Germany providing mainly custody and settlement services, having received its...

This staff report discusses Israel’s 2009 Article IV Consultation on economic developments and policies. The economy has been shielded from the global downturn by the absence of prior housing or bank credit booms, high household savings rates, and the fact that investment goods and...

This paper discusses key findings of the financial system stability assessment (FSSA) on the Central African Republic. The assessment reveals that the liquidity position of the financial sector has improved in recent years. This reflects a more favorable economic environment following the end of...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that despite initial resilience partly explained by high wage growth and accelerated government spending in Greece, growth slowed substantially in early 2009. The main driving forces were lower investment and exports, destocking, and a decline in...

This paper focuses on the Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) for Togo. The SMP aims to support the preparation of a realistic 2007 budget, with a moderate primary adjustment; anchor budget execution in a pre-election period; strengthening fiscal governance, especially on expenditure management;...

This paper discusses key findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment on the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision, the Committee for Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) Core Principles for Systemically Important Payment Systems, and IMF Monetary and Financial Policy...

This article is a synopsis on Costa Rica’s international spillovers, potential estimates, fiscal challenges, and banking systems. Spillovers are originated by cross-country trade and financial linkages, and also by the impact of global fiscal consolidation. The banking sector has about...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic activity in Cyprus has recovered from a relatively weak performance in 2002–03. Declines in interest rates and strong capital inflows associated with Cyprus’s accession to the European Union in May 2004 spurred growth in...