Boom and bust phases in asset prices have become a pervasive feature of macroeconomic developments in many advanced economies. This paper studies fiscal policy during boom-bust phases in asset prices and draws several conclusions. First, expansions and contractions in economic activity during...

It has been argued that the West with its well-established democracies was largely responsible for the filling of the institutional vacuum the East experienced after the fall of totalitarian regimes in the eve of the 90s. Scholars of international relations and public policies loudly debated on...

A balanced management of forest conflicts that considers both nature conservation and economic concerns requires the recognition and communication of these concerns within the decision-making procedures of public administration. Thus, the visibility of conflicts is an important condition for...

Despite the impact of Hurricane Ivan, the economic activity of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has strengthened. Executive Directors welcomed the developments and the tax policy aimed to broaden the tax base and reduce concessions. They appreciated the home-grown Interim Poverty Reduction...

This paper reviews the performance of Guinea-Bissau Under the program supported by Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance (EPCA). Guinea-Bissau has made progress in stabilizing its fiscal situation under difficult circumstances and is moving steadily to implement structural reforms. Four of the six...

This paper examines Lesotho’s Sixth Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and Request for Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria. Real GDP growth slowed to 3¼ percent in 2003/04 (April-March) owing to the adverse impact of drought on agricultural output...

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...

The Republic of Palau (Palau) has always been heavily dependent on external assistance. The availability of steady grants has allowed Palau to maintain a sizable public sector. A number of issues are considered in designing a comprehensive management strategy for the Compact Trust Fund (CTF)....