Bolivia showed a solid macroeconomic performance in recent years, owing to its strong trade and prudent economic policies. IMF staff stressed the need to tighten monetary conditions through increasing the policy interest rate as a means to combat inflation. The Executive Board praised...

The Mongolian financial system is dominated by commercial banks. The nonbank financial sector, including insurance and the stock market, is small. The current level of dollarization exposes Mongolia’s financial system to risk. The authorities are in the process of establishing the Development...

Finland’s 2008 Article IV Consultation shows that spillovers from the global turmoil are adversely affecting activity and may weaken the financial system. From a cyclical perspective, a fiscal structural loosening is warranted. Its effectiveness in Finland’s small, open economy would be...

This paper presents a technical note on Crisis Management Arrangements for the United States. The crisis has seen widespread systemic instability, large-scale fiscal support, and an increase in moral hazard. The lack of a formal systematic process for the assessment of risks may have contributed...

We collect new data to assess the importance of supply-side credit market frictions by studying the impact of financial sector recapitalization packages on the growth performance of firms in a large cross-section of 50 countries during the recent crisis. We develop an identification strategy...

This paper characterises the jointly optimal monetary and fiscal stabilisation policy in a new Keynesian model that allows for consumers who lacking access to asset markets consume their disposable income each period. With full asset market participation, the optimal policy relies entirely on...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Welcome steps have been taken in strengthening the financial system. The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) now provides a useful forum for coordination; the regulatory perimeter has expanded; information sharing among agencies has improved; supervisory stress testing is...

Norway’s financial system coped well with the global financial crisis and has further increased buffers to deal with potential shocks, but significant financial imbalances have also built up since then. Favorable macroeconomic conditions in recent years have helped maintain financial...

The Georgian financial system is small by international standards and by comparison with countries in the region. The vulnerabilities and policy challenges in the Georgian financial system are closely linked to the transitional stage of the economy. The legal framework governing the financial...

KEY ISSUES Economic Outlook: Strong private consumption and residential investment helped Canada recover quickly from the last recession but left a legacy of elevated household debt and high house valuations. The transition to more balanced economic growth, with stronger contribution from...