Mozambique is an economic success story in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Its remarkable achievements offer valuable lessons to other low-income countries in a post-stabilization economic phase, including how they can efficiently manage a scaling up of foreign aid aimed at poverty reduction. Of...

The Pacific island region has considerable potential for development, especially in the areas of tourism, fisheries, forestry, mining, and agriculture. However, these countries face many challenges to developing their economies and raising living standards, including their small size, distance...

This book provides a comprehensive review of recent economic developments in South Africa and the structural and policy challenges facing the authorities. Individual papers examine a range of topics such as unemployment and the labor market, recent trends in the private saving rate, the role of...

This report builds on two previous similar reports from 2001 and 2002-Kosovo: Macroeconomic Issues and Fiscal Sustainability (2001) and Kosovo: Institutions and Policies for Reconstruction and Growth (2002). It is based on work performed during four IMF staff visits spanning a 15-month period...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is making significant strides on both the political and economic fronts to extricate itself from one of the bloodiest wars in African history. This remarkable turnaround offers other countries and the international community valuable lessons in preventing...

An IMF staff team has visited Dushanbe during April 23–May 3, 2001, to undertake the second review of the third annual arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). With the exception of a continuous performance criterion pertaining to the accumulation of external...

This paper presents the staff report for Norway’s 2009 Article IV Consultation on economic developments and policies. Unemployment remains low, and key short-term indicators point to a continued recovery. Norway’s resilience has been underpinned by substantial macroeconomic stimulus, buoyant...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has recovered strongly from a series of shocks in recent years and, as expected, the pace of growth is now moderating. Growth was 6.8 percent (year over year) in the first three quarters of 2006, somewhat...

This 1999 Article IV Consultation highlights that Finland’s economy has made a strong recovery from the deep recession that began in the early 1990s. Spurred by a devaluation of the markka, growth was predominantly export driven, and the external current account shifted from a deficit of more...