The IMF staff report on Mexico’s financial policies has been satisfactory; these policies have been said to act as a buffer against risks that erupted during the global economic crisis. Mexico has been identified as a prudent and fairly well-managed economy. However, the issues that would...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Singapore has been severely affected by the global downturn. The collapse in external demand has led to a sharp contraction in GDP, which fell by almost 13 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Executive Directors have observed that the floating...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s economy was severely affected by the global financial crisis. The recovery is now under way, fueled by growth on the Mainland, supportive policies, and accommodative monetary conditions imported...

An illegal parallel market for foreign exchange is prevalent in Belize. Its emergence and continued existence is attributed to the pervasive exchange controls, attempts to avoid banking fees, as well as the prevalence of cash transactions in the tourist sector. Overall, the financial system...

The analysis is structured around the standard taxonomy of transmission channels. A monetary tightening must limit banks' ability to supply loans by reducing bank reserves/bank credit. The direct interest rate channel is the strongest channel of the monetary policy transmission mechanism (MPTM),...

This Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix paper examines recent economic developments and medium-term outlook for Liberia. This paper focuses on economic developments during 2003 and 2004 and the medium-term challenges of reconstruction. The paper explores the pros and cons of adopting full...

This Selected Issues paper for Australia highlights the dynamics of the Australian real exchange rate and its impact on Australia’s trade. The main findings are that the Australian real exchange rate is largely driven by world commodity prices and that it adjusts relatively rapidly to...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix examines the sustainability of the public finances in Eritrea. The paper analyzes monetary policy and management. It points out that the period since gaining independence in 1993 has not been long enough for the authorities in Eritrea to gain a...

This paper analyzes competitiveness in the Baltics in the run-up to European Union accession. Several factors appear to have driven movements in equilibrium real exchange rates in the Baltics since the start of the transition process. In the earlier years of transition, price liberalization,...

This Selected Issues paper on the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) reviews the evolution of actual and equilibrium real effective exchange rates (REER). The current level of the CEMAC REER is broadly in line with its long-term equilibrium value. The estimation approach...