The staff report for the 2013 Article IV Consultation on Guinea-Bissau highlights the economic development and policies. Guinea-Bissau’s medium-term challenges are to diversify its economy, reduce widespread poverty, and generate employment opportunities. Recurrent internal conflicts have...

Program implementation has been satisfactory, and all assessment criteria were met. The fiscal deficit was reduced to 5.9 percent of GDP despite a significant revenue shortfall. Delays were incurred in the implementation of reforms in the energy sector. The authorities intend to accelerate...

This paper discusses Burkina Faso’s ex-post assessment of longer-term program engagement. Economic growth has fluctuated above regional standards, averaging 5.3 percent between 2007 and 2012. The improvements in the agricultural sector, as a result of authorities’ strong push for...

Greece adopted an ambitious program to eliminate fiscal and current account imbalances, regain competitiveness, maintain financial stability, and boost growth and employment. While significant fiscal adjustment occurred, critical objectives such as regaining confidence and restoring growth were...

Madagascar showed strong economic growth and low inflation under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) Arrangement. Executive Directors commended these developments, and stressed the need to restore fiscal discipline, improve governance, strengthen the business climate to encourage...

This paper reviews Niger’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) Paper Progress Report. After more than two years of implementation, the PRS has truly become established as the overall framework for the various sectoral strategies in existence or being devised. Moreover, it has been used to...

Since the conclusion of the last Article IV Consultation in October 2001, Georgia's macroeconomic performance has been encouraging. The 2003 Article IV Consultation and program discussions were held against the backdrop of protracted deviations from the IMF-supported program. Discussions with...

This paper presents an Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone has had almost continuous involvement with IMF programs since 1994 under a variety of arrangements. All the IMF-supported programs in Sierra Leone during 1994–2004 had the same...

This paper evaluates Tajikistan’s 2002 Article IV Consultation and a Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Tajikistan’s previous IMF-supported program went off track in mid-2001 largely because of poor progress with structural...

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) on Georgia review macroeconomic, structural, and social policies in support of growth and poverty reduction, as well as associated external financing needs and major sources of financing. The sustainability of high economic growth is a positive...