This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is enjoying its fourth consecutive year of stable growth underpinned by the currency board. Export growth of 29 percent on the back of productivity gains, export price increases, and improvements in reporting...

This paper focuses on Nicaragua’s Fifth and Sixth Reviews Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, Request for Waiver and Modification of Performance Criteria. The macroeconomic performance has been broadly satisfactory. Economic growth is...

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that domestic credit growth has accelerated, driven by strong demand from the government, public enterprises, and the private sector. High import content, particularly from public infrastructure...

Macroeconomic and financial vulnerabilities have intensified in recent years. Bolivia has adopted a program to stabilize the situation, and the program is broadly on track. Monetary policy is appropriately geared to support a gradual build-up of international reserves while ensuring needed...

This paper discusses key findings of the Seventh Review Under the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) for Uganda. The medium-term outlook for Uganda remains favorable but risks are on the rise. Growth is expected to rebound to its potential in the coming two years on the heels of a supportive fiscal...

China’s transformation into a dynamic private-sector-led economy and its integration into the world economy have been among the most dramatic global economic developments of recent decades. This paper provides an overview of some of the key aspects of recent developments in China’s...

The evaluation of the impact on poverty of social programs depends on how other programs are treated in the analysis and on the assumptions used for estimating poverty measures. This paper applies a simple yet sound method for allocating between various programs the total poverty reduction...

Robust GDP growth, declining unemployment, low and stable inflation, and a string of fiscal and current account surpluses -- it's a record to be envied. These outcomes in Canada owe much to sound macroeconomic policies, as well as to a favorable external environment. This book focuses on these...

Fiscal consolidation has become an important policy prescription for many emerging market countries (EMCs), particularly for the highly indebted ones. Although prudent fiscal policies tend to reduce vulnerabilities, their implementation is usually postponed. This paper represents, to the best of...

Fiscal problems have long been considered a central feature of financial--that is, currency, debt, and banking--crises. This paper addresses four questions: What are the fiscal causes of crises? Which fiscal vulnerability indicators help to predict crises? Can fiscal variables explain the...