The Kingdom of Lesotho’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that the government’s fiscal position and the external current account have improved markedly. The authorities are preparing an action plan, in collaboration with development partners, to improve the business climate....

Niger’s First Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and Requests for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria and Augmentation of Access are discussed. The sharp rise in food prices pushed up inflation in 2005, while the food shortage affected one-fourth of the...

This paper discusses Congo’s Fourth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), and Requests for Waiver of Performance Criteria. Overall performance under the program was satisfactory and at end-March 2004, 8 out of the 11 quantitative...

Kenya showed poor implementation of policies and weak economic performance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) arrangement. The government formulated a new Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (ERSWEC) aimed to address major macroeconomic...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that Georgia’s economy has performed well over the last two years, and the fiscal turnaround has been impressive. Since the change in government in late 2003, Georgia has demonstrated strong fiscal performance and a renewed commitment to press...

This paper discusses United Republic of Tanzania’s Fourth Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and Request for Waiver of Performance Criteria. A principal challenge for monetary policy continues to be liquidity management in the face of high foreign aid inflows. A...

The staff report for the Fifth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility on Burkina Faso highlights the macroeconomic framework for 2006 and the fiscal policy. Discussions on the macroeconomic framework for 2006 focused on the permanence of the...

This paper examines the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 2003 Article IV Consultation, First Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), and Request for Waiver of Performance Criteria. Through September 2002, overall performance under the PRGF-supported program was...

This paper discusses Nicaragua’s 2005 Article IV Consultation and Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Reviews Under the Three Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). The economy continued to perform well, notwithstanding pressure from higher oil prices. Strong...