This Selected Issues paper on Kenya reviews Kenya’s external stability in a context where the exchange rate has strengthened and capital inflows are playing an increasingly important role. Kenya’s external current account deficit has widened, reflecting strong import volumes as...

This Selected Issues paper on the Philippines reviews the diminished volatility of the Republic of Philippines bonds (RoPs), even through a period of extended turbulence cannot be attributed solely to the sanguine global factors currently prevailing across all credit markets. Considerable fiscal...

This paper examines Georgia’s request for an 18-month arrangement for SDR 477.1 million, equivalent to about US$750 million, which would constitute exceptional access. IMF support to the government’s macroeconomic policies is intended to provide the needed financing to rebuild...

This Selected Issues paper summarizes estimates of the gap between current housing prices and their equilibrium levels in the United States. It examines short-term dynamics of price adjustment. Reflecting uncertainties about how to analyze underlying housing price trends, two approaches are used...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic performance of the Czech Republic strengthened during 2005–06, supported by the expanding capacity of the export-oriented automotive sector and a cyclical recovery in the European Union. The momentum of growth has been underpinned...

This paper discusses key findings of the financial sector stability assessment for Romania. The assessment reveals that in recent years, Romania’s financial sector regulatory authorities have made significant progress in adopting international best practices, including through...

France’s economic short-term outlook is positive, and long-term prospects have improved. Fiscal adjustment remains high on the government’s agenda. Tax reforms have improved the economy’s growth potential. Reforms in financial, labor, and product markets are necessary to...

Remarks at United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, New York.

Remarks at United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, New York.

The paper takes stock of the debate on the positive link between output volatility and the size of government-which reflects automatic stabilizers. After a survey of the literature, we show that the contribution of automatic stabilizers to output stability may have disappeared since the 1990s....