The Belgian insurance industry was adversely affected by the global financial crisis and continued to confront challenges related to legacy assets and economic uncertainties in Europe. The Belgian authorities have made significant progress in updating the insurance regulatory regime and...

This paper discusses the Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) on Data Module for Georgia. Following the 2002 ROSC mission, Georgia has continued to make impressive improvements in statistical compilation and dissemination in all areas of statistics covered by the Data ROSC....

This paper presents findings of the First Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for the Republic of Kosovo. The paper highlights that macroeconomic and financial policies are broadly on-track. All end-April and continuous quantitative performance criteria under the SBA were met with...

This paper discusses the findings of the Detailed Assessment of Implementation on the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation on Singapore. Overall compliance with IOSCO principles is generally high, although the assessors...

Indonesia’s external borrowing spreads increased by more than 1000 bps from mid-2007 to late 2008, before subsiding in recent months. The large increase in spreads prompted questions about whether the spreads adequately reflect the improvements in fundamentals made over the past few...

This paper discusses key findings of the Second Review for Burundi under the three-year arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). All quantitative and structural performance criteria for March 2009 were met, and structural reforms are on track. In the near term, the...

The Kyrgyz Republic has stabilized with the formation of a new coalition, but political uncertainty remains. Despite a slump in gold production and delays in donor financing, monetary and fiscal policies remained prudent. Improving the business climate, good governance, and strong institutions...

Tonga’s economy has become increasingly vulnerable. Fiscal discipline has weakened, undermining macroeconomic stability and external viability. Medium-term prospects have deteriorated. Moreover, there are other serious downside risks to the fiscal outlook. Further monetary tightening in...

Following an extended period of strong economic performance, Vietnam is facing considerable challenges. Growth moderated to 6.2 percent in 2008. Rapid credit growth fueled by massive capital inflows, coupled with a surge in commodity prices, led to high inflation and large trade deficits in the...

This Status Report discusses preparation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) on Central African Republic. The government has decided to design an interim strategy (the Economic and Social Policy Framework Document – Document cadre de politique économique et sociale–DCPES) while...