Italy’s economic development after the recession is analyzed in this study. Earnings were hampered by low net interest and high loan-loss provisions, but banks remained profitable. A large and stable retail funding base and ample collateral to access eurosystem refinancing helped Italian...

The 2008 Article IV Consultation with the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and sixth review under the three-year arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility discusses policies and exchange rate arrangement. In recent years, public finances have been supported by...

This paper is an account of the economic conditions of the Solomon Islands. The macroeconomic situation has shown a considerable expansion in recent years with the external buffers intact. Although the Islands have shown good growth, the IMF staff expects only a moderate performance in 2013 and...

Major political developments have taken place in Nepal since the Executive Board concluded the Article IV Consultation in January 2006. The Koirala government is keen on early resumption of the IMF-supported program to help maintain macroeconomic stability. The international community has...

Over the past two decades, wide-ranging structural reforms, supported by prudent policies, have established Mauritius as a top regional performer. The Mauritian economy recovered in 2010. Real GDP growth is estimated to have accelerated to 4 percent (3 percent in 2009), driven by strong growth...

This paper provides a background on the key policy challenges for Slovenia in the euro zone. Then, it assesses the discretionary scope to adjust spending and proposes initial steps to enhance budget flexibility so that fiscal adjustment can be targeted on relatively inefficient spending. This...

The Pakistani authorities placed a request for a nine-month extension of the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), to get sufficient time to complete the remaining fifth and sixth reviews under the SBA. The authorities believe that extending the arrangement will provide time to complete the reform of the...

This paper discusses a request from Angola for a Stand-By-Arrangement (SBA). The requested SBA aims to support orderly policy adjustments to restore macroeconomic balances and rebuild international reserves. This program also includes a focused reform agenda aimed at medium-term structural...

Kuwait faced the global financial crisis from a position of strength, owing to expansionary fiscal stance. The economy is expected to grow steadily over the medium term as Kuwait continues to implement the development plan and global recovery supports demand for oil. The near-term macroeconomic...

This paper discusses key findings of the Second Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for Burkina Faso. All quantitative performance criteria (PC) were met. The indicative floor on social expenditures was not achieved, mainly because of capacity weaknesses in implementing...