How to entrench hard-won gains, increase resilience to shocks, and improve growth performance to reduce poverty? As Central America moves forward in regaining macroeconomic stability, these are the challenges. This study analyzes Central America’s real, fiscal, monetary, and financial...

Seychelles's strong stabilization efforts has helped the economy to overcome debt crisis and global recession under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). But the authorities need to address monetary policy trade-offs, and financial sector challenges exist. Executive Directors welcomed Seychelles's...

African bond markets have been steadily growing in recent years, but nonetheless remain undeveloped. African countries would benefit from greater access to financing and deeper financial markets. This paper compiles a unique set of data on corporate bond markets in Africa. It then applies an...

Cape Verde’s economic and policy performance remains sound under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement supported by Policy Support Instrument (PSI). Executive Directors commended the prudent macroeconomic policies and structural reforms. They emphasized the need for...

Iraq showed good progress in undertaking strong macroeconomic policies and implementing economic reforms under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Executive Directors welcomed this, and noted that low investment and stagnating output in the oil sector continue to hamper economic growth. They...

The unprecedented rise in nonperforming assets during the recent Asian financial crisis severely tested the limit and capacity of the existing asset management infrastructure, leading policymakers to consider new approaches to resolve them. This paper examines two such approaches—the creation...

The key policy challenge for Turkey in the years ahead will be to enhance and consolidate the advances made since the nation’s 2000-01 economic crisis. Higher growth could reduce unemployment and raise living standards toward European Union levels. This paper reviews Turkey’s...

At the height of the Great Depression a number of leading U.S. economists advanced a proposal for monetary reform that became known as the Chicago Plan. It envisaged the separation of the monetary and credit functions of the banking system, by requiring 100% reserve backing for deposits. Irving...

We develop a DSGE model with a banking sector to analyze the impact of the financial crisis on Zambia and the role of the monetary policy response. We view the crisis as a combination of three related shocks: a worsening in the terms of the trade, an increase in the country’s risk...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that data for the first half of 2005 point to a widening fiscal deficit for Antigua and Barbuda. A combination of a reduction in capital spending and some improvement in revenues following a tightening of the concessions regime resulted in a closing...