A number of developing countries have run large and persistent current account deficits in both the late seventies/early eighties and in the early nineties, raising the issue of whether these persistent imbalances are sustainable. This paper puts forward a notion of current account...

This paper examines the First Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement for Colombia. Under the authorities’ program, economic performance has been mostly favorable. Real economic growth appears to be recovering, led by a pickup in domestic demand that outweighed a decline in net exports....

This paper highlights that central banks from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru (the LA5 countries) reaped the benefits of what they sowed in successfully weathering the global crisis. The adoption of far-reaching institutional, policy, and operational reforms during the last two decades...

This study examines the fiscal impact of the pension reform adopted in Colombia in 1993, which established a fully funded, privately administered pension system alongside the existing pay-as-you-go state scheme. The reform increased the contribution rate and reduced the benefits of the state...

It has been argued that higher levels of inflation lead to greater uncertainty about future inflation and to greater dispersion of relative prices. In either case, inflation could reduce the efficiency of market prices in coordinating economic activities. This paper shows that the rise of...

This paper discusses an arrangement under the Flexible Credit Line (FCL) for Colombia. Colombia is well placed to confront challenges posed by the ongoing global downturn. Access under an FCL arrangement of SDR 6.966 billion, which the authorities intend to treat as precautionary, would support...

This paper estimates the effectiveness of capital controls in response to inflow surges in Brazil, Colombia, Korea, and Thailand in the 2000s. Controls are generally associated with a decrease in inflows and a lengthening of maturities, but the relationship is not statistically significant in...

This paper describes economic developments in Colombia during the 1990s. Economic activity slowed in 1991 as financial policies were tightened to curb inflation. However, activity rebounded strongly to an average of 5 percent a year in 1992–94, buoyed by the trade and financial liberalization,...

Economic performance of Colombia deteriorated in 1998 and the recession has deepened further. The weak economic activity helped to lower the inflation and to narrow the external current account deficit. The fiscal position and the health of the financial sector continued to deteriorate. The...

Colombia’s strong institutional frameworks and sound policy management have underpinned a strong macroeconomic performance and contributed to reducing vulnerabilities. The Colombian economy exhibited great resilience during the global crisis, and the output recovery is well entrenched. The...