This paper takes stock of the current state of development of the financial systems in five Central European transition economies (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia) that are also leading EU accession candidates. It presents both a progress report and an...

China’s transformation into a dynamic private-sector-led economy and its integration into the world economy have been among the most dramatic global economic developments of recent decades. This paper provides an overview of some of the key aspects of recent developments in China’s...

The main vulnerabilities in the financial sector can be found in the banking system and the social security fund (SSNIT). The Ghanaian financial sector is also confronted by a large number of development challenges. The factual updates of Ghana’s observance of the three international...

Ethiopia showed commendable performance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) Arrangement. Executive Directors appreciated this development, and emphasized the need to strengthen fiscal and monetary policies, enhance revenues, strengthen public expenditure management, and...

Croatia has made important strides in restoring robust economic growth and achieving price stability while continuing to strengthen its net international reserves position under the Stand-By Arrangement. Executive Directors welcomed this development, and stressed the need to improve fiscal...

This paper examines Peru’s 2002 Article IV Consultation, First Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement, and a Request for Modification and Waiver of Performance Criteria. The fiscal policy was tightened in early 2002 from the expansionary stance in the second half of 2001. The baseline...

Based on a switching-cost model, we examine empirically the hypotheses that bank loan mark-ups are countercyclical and asymmetric in their responsiveness to recessionary and expansionary impulses. The first econometric model treats changes in the mark-up as a continuous variable. The second...

The philosophy underlying a bank's accounting for loan losses might have a material effect on the net income the firm reports to investors, which is a concern for securities regulators. A bank's loan-loss accounting philosophy might also significantly affect its ability to absorb unexpected...