During the last decade, a number of new financial instruments and derivative products related to the Greek drachma have emerged in local as well as international capital markets. The paper analyzes the characteristics of these financial instruments which are traded in organized exchanges and...

This paper compares the experience with exchange-rate–based stabilization (ERBS) of four Western European countries with that of high-inflation developing countries. In general, the behavior of key macroeconomic variables—inflation, output, demand, the real exchange rate and the current...

This Selected Issue paper provides an overview of the public pension system in Greece, and of prospective pension-related spending pressures. The paper reviews the structure of Greece’s pension system and compares some basic parameters of the Greek pension system with those of other European...

This paper presents an update to the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Fiscal Transparency for Greece. The government has initiated steps toward improving auditing. The Ministry of Economy and Finance is undertaking a comparative examination of its auditing mechanism against...

This 2001 Article IV Consultation highlights that strong economic growth continued in Greece in 2001, but the economy was not immune from the global slowdown. GDP increased by about 4 percent, led by robust domestic demand. Investment growth accelerated, following interest rate convergence with...

Executive Directors welcomed the report by the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on the IMF and the Crises in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal, and appreciated the accompanying statement by the Managing Director. They agreed that the report's findings provide valuable insights and lessons for...

I welcome the report of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on the Euro Area crisis programs. Their work provides an independent and in-depth account, which I have no doubt will make an important contribution to understanding the Fund's approach to the crisis. As I have emphasized...

This paper sets out Management's response to the Independent Evaluation Office's (IEO) report The IMF and the Crises in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal as part of the Management and staff follow-up to an IEO evaluation. The implementation plan proposes specific actions to address the...

This paper discusses Greece's Fifth Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), and Request for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion and Rephasing of Access. Greece has gone from having the weakest to the strongest cyclically adjusted fiscal position...

This paper provides an assessment of Greece’s competitiveness, export performance, and national saving and investment. It examines the Greek tax ratio and structure, and places them in the EU context. It also reviews the design of the various tax categories, and identifies the scope for...