The fiscal policy stance continues to be appropriate, facilitating a reduction in public debt. Seychelles has made a good start on its second stage of reforms under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF)-supported program, despite a difficult international environment, showing strong resilience to the...

The arrangement, for SDR 81 million (50 percent of quota), was approved on June 26, 2006. The Executive Board extended the arrangement until March 31, 2010, and rephased remaining disbursements to allow for a review. The authorities intend to frame the new homegrown program within a wider...

Guinea-Bissau’s 2010 Article IV Consultation and request for a Three-Year Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility are discussed. Despite the difficult external environment and its political challenges, in 2009, Guinea-Bissau made progress in stabilizing its economy through the Emergency...

The January 2010 earthquake represented a major setback for Haiti, after several years of improved economic performance. Executive Directors commended the authorities for quickly restoring basic government functions and maintaining sound policies during the crisis. Directors welcomed the...

The goal of the last ECF arrangement (2005–09) was to support Benin’s strategy to achieve higher sustainable growth and reduce poverty while preserving macroeconomic stability and reducing vulnerabilities to external shocks. The program achieved most of its objectives. The main macroeconomic...

Senegal’s staff report for the 2008 Article IV Consultation highlights the rapidly rising energy and food prices, and the high inflation in 2007 that put pressure on the fiscal and external accounts. Senegal’s macroeconomic policies were being pursued under an economic program supported by...

This paper discusses key findings of the Second Review Under the Policy Support Instrument for Mozambique. Overall performance under the program was satisfactory but encountered unexpected challenges. Domestic revenues were stronger than envisaged, but the end-December 2007 assessment criterion...

Senegal achieved robust economic growth and low inflation under the economic program. Executive Directors emphasized the need to correct slippages in fiscal governance and transparency to ensure budgetary discipline and strengthen procurement rules and practices. They appreciated the action plan...

This paper examines Zambia’s Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Through end-March, most of the key quantitative benchmarks and six of the eight structural benchmarks under the Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) were observed. The...

This paper examines Serbia and Montenegro’s Third Review Under the Extended Arrangement and Requests for Waiver of Performance Criterion. Serbia and Montenegro’s recent economic performance has been mixed, combining excellent progress in some areas with an uncomfortably large current account...