EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The political situation was difficult throughout most of 2013 but has stabilized in the last few months. Disputes between government and opposition on preparations for legislative elections at end-September resulted in serious civil unrest but the situation is improving since...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note focuses on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Kenya. Kenya's second Medium Term Plan (MTP-2) that covers 2013-2017 seeks to build on the successes of the MTP1. It aims to accelerate growth to reach double-digit levels, to create jobs for the Kenyan...

KEY ISSUES Context: Angola has returned to a path of solid economic growth, with single-digit inflation, a strong international reserves position, and a stable exchange rate. The authorities have made progress in strengthening some areas of fiscal and monetary policies. However, recurrent...

KEY ISSUES Context: Swift corrective measures were instrumental in putting the program back on track and placing the fiscal outlook on a sounder footing in the run-up to the 2015 elections. Program: The Executive Board approved the three-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF)...

KEY ISSUES Context. The region continued to experience a strong upswing in 2013 and the immediate outlook is for further vigorous growth and moderate inflation. Sustaining this performance over the medium term, however, will require ambitious growth-enhancing reforms, high quality public...

KEY ISSUES Context: The Mauritian economy has grown steadily despite weak activity in Europe, its main trading partner. Growth was supported by fiscal stimulus and accommodative monetary policy. The economy is operating slightly below potential, domestic investment has fallen, and the planned...

KEY ISSUES Context: Chad is a fragile country with weak institutional and policy capacity, facing a trend decline in oil revenues (barring new oil discoveries), and vulnerable to oil price and regional security shocks. The country is enjoying its longest period of domestic political stability...

KEY ISSUES Short-term vulnerabilities have risen significantly amid high fiscal and current account deficits. The international reserve position has weakened alongside mounting public debt. High interest rates and a depreciating currency have begun to weaken private sector activity, and spreads...

This chapter discusses key findings of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper progress report on the Republic of Mozambique. The monitoring of 62 output indicators of the 2013 Plano Economico e Social showed that 44 percent of the indicators have achieved the planned targets, 50 percent have not...

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