The Bahamas’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that the economic slowdown has contributed to deterioration in the fiscal accounts. The Bahamas is a small, open, and relatively wealthy economy, which is highly dependent on tourism from the United States and offshore financial...

This paper examines Ukraine’s Request for a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). The authorities have requested a 12-month SBA, which they intend to treat as precautionary. Their economic program for 2004 aims to sustain recent stabilization gains and advance some important structural reforms. Key...

This 2003 Article IV Consultation highlights that Canada’s strong policy framework has brought impressive economic results, and the Canadian economy has proven exceptionally resilient in the face of the recent global downturn. Economic activity slowed relatively modestly in 2001, with...

This Selected Issues paper analyzes fiscal developments and the sustainability of the current fiscal stance in Poland. It analyzes fiscal risks and fiscal vulnerability by investigating the contingent liabilities of the government and by performing stress tests to gauge the exposure of the...

This 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that the economic activity in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is estimated to have slowed. Despite the use of the bump-up funds by some of the FSM’s four state governments to boost spending during FY2002, GDP is estimated to have grown...

This Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Cameroon highlights that the strengthening non-oil revenue and improving expenditure monitoring and control are critical to strengthening the fiscal position. Structural policies aimed at improving competitiveness and promoting...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note discusses key priorities for strengthening Uganda’s Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) and for ensuring its effective implementation. PEAP 2004 describes the participatory process underpinning the development of the PEAP strategy, provides a poverty...

Cameroon’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that tangible progress has been made in the health and education sectors, and a number of social indicators have improved significantly. The deterioration in fiscal performance and related weaknesses in fiscal management could, in the longer...

This Selected Issues paper assesses the long-term fiscal position of Canada. Simulations based on current tax and spending policies suggest that the fiscal position will remain favorable until well into the middle of the century, and relatively modest adjustments would be required to make these...

This paper presents an update to the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC)—Fiscal Transparency Module for Greece. As noted in previous updates of the fiscal ROSC, much progress has been made in Greece since joining the European Union in separating government from...