Employing comparative and quantitative historical methods Frankema explores long run trends of asset and income distribution in Latin America, arguing that there is little reason to regard the yawning gap between rich and poor as the persistent result of a colonial heritage.

We use cross-section and time-series techniques to analyze pricing behavior in Sierra Leone. In cross-sectional data, we find that inflation volatility and product diversification are the main factors explaining differences in the frequency of price adjustments. We show that variance in the...

This paper discusses commodity prices might serve as a useful leading indicator of inflation, based on the relative importance of flexible auction markets for the determination of these prices. They thus may have a tendency to respond relatively quickly, especially in response to monetary...

This paper describes the functioning of labor markets and to eliminate other structural obstacles to noninflationary growth. The decline in the price level in the home country will involve a rise in the real money supply and, if output is sluggish, this will result in an excess supply of money....

The political and security focus has shifted from post-conflict needs to consolidating gains on peace and stability. Macroeconomic stability has been re-established, and debt relief has improved the debt sustainability outlook. This enabled a gradual switch in policy priorities toward creating...

The government of Sierra Leone is requesting a successor three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement to support their program to raise economic growth by increasing investment in infrastructure and developing an accessible financial sector. Fiscal policy in 2010 focuses on improving...