KEY ISSUES The economy has rebounded strongly and prospects are promising. Headwinds that previously held back the economy—relating notably to credit conditions and confidence—have eased. Nonetheless, sustaining strong growth will depend on a recovery in productivity growth and...

This paper examines key findings of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea’s 2010 Article IV Consultation. Real GDP has increased fortyfold since 1995, and large oil revenues have allowed the government to embark on an ambitious infrastructure investment program while amassing foreign savings....

Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper highlights the civil war as the underlying cause of extreme poverty. A major challenge for the government is to attract more donor aid and private investment in the provision of infrastructure given its own limited budget and the constraints on...

This paper focuses on Lebanon’s performance under the program supported by emergency post-conflict assistance. The end-March quantitative target on international reserves was met with a wide margin. While the primary balance target was also met, the program ceiling on net government...

This note documents slow economic growth and significant delays in reform implementation owing to continued political instability and conflict. The annual progress report (APR) reviews progress in the power sector, but does not mention some critical challenges. It outlines some progress in...

The paper discusses the economic developments and policies in Sri Lanka in recent years. Substantial adjustments in energy prices and operational and financial reforms have helped to improve the performance of state owned enterprises (SOEs) and have reduced the burden on the budget and the...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This paper discusses Côte d’Ivoire’s Fifth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Requests for Modification of Performance Criteria (PC) and Extension of the Current Arrangement. Program performance has been strong. All end-December PCs and all...

Growth accelerated to 3.1 percent in 2013, driven by a positive net exports contribution. The broad policy direction is supportive of near term macroeconomic stability. The key challenge is to transition from stability into an acceleration of medium term growth. Uncertainty with respect to EU...