Threats to external stability in the pre-crisis period have now been reduced substantially and foreign non-debt creating flows have declined, sufficient to support external stability. The global economic downturn has raised challenges for evaluating the countries’ fiscal stance and fiscal...

This Selected Issues paper for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) reports that GDP per capita in BiH is similar to that in neighboring Balkan countries. BiH risks are falling behind rather than catching up with other transition economies in terms of its economic development. This could delay the...

This Selected Issues paper examines the risks and structural weaknesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper provides an estimate of the current account adjustment required to stabilize net foreign liabilities. It uses the external sustainability approach of the Consultative Group on Exchange...

This Selected Issues paper provides background information for the 1998 Article IV Consultation with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper contains an overview of economic and political developments. It describes the establishment of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, developments in the...

The current account deficit by the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years has fluctuated to about 20 percent of GDP. But official current account statistics suffer from several shortcomings. Possible sources of the savings required to achieve a fiscal position consistent with...

This paper presents a debt sustainability analysis for St. Lucia. The medium-term scenario prepared by the IMF staff assumes continued fiscal consolidation and thus is compatible with sustainable debt levels even in the presence of adverse economic shocks. Stress tests show that stabilizing the...

This Selected Issues paper analyzes Jamaica’s experience of low growth despite consistently high investment rates. It suggests that the link between public debt and productivity is part of the answer to the puzzle. The paper considers Jamaica’s debt management strategy and its optimal debt...

This report of the Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) indicates that the envisaged strategy of a partial substitution of domestic debt by increased inflows of external grants and concessional loans, as well as a rescheduling of external debt by the Paris and London Clubs, would facilitate the...

The economy of Belize in recent years has been vulnerable to adverse shocks owing to its weak external position, policy rigidities, and reduced access to external financing. Executive Directors commended the authorities for their prudent macroeconomic management during the crisis. Directors...

Timor-Leste weathered the global financial crisis well and experienced healthy economic growth rates. It has made solid progress in strengthening the public financial management systems. The budget document provides comprehensive information; fiscal transparency is high. The Ministry of Finance...