This paper presents an Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Uruguay. Uruguay has had a series of Stand-By Arrangements that were treated mostly as precautionary between March 1996 and early 2002. These were viewed as a helpful seal of approval, and a vehicle for intensive IMF...

Domestic demand continued to grow at rapid rates, despite corrective fiscal and monetary policy measures. Although trade and financial sector reforms advanced and foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations were liberalized, there was less progress in improving the business environment, reducing...

The government of Rwanda has recognized that economic development in most areas would have to be the responsibility of the private sector (particularly since military and civil service employment would be reduced), but that the public sector could still have a role in promoting economic equality...

The staff report on the Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for the Republic of Azerbaijan highlights macroeconomic performance and fiscal policy. On the structural front, significant progress was achieved in fiscal management, the privatization of small- and medium-size...

This paper reviews economic developments in Latvia during 1994–96. The paper highlights that developments during this period have been dominated by the after-effects of the fiscal slippage in 1994 and the banking crisis in 1995, although there are signs of a recovery from these adverse...

The strategy underlying the Arusha agreement envisaged a three-year transition period, involving further national reconciliation steps, implementation of lasting power-sharing arrangements, and initiation of national reconstruction. To overcome poverty, Burundi should diversify its economy and...

This Selected Issues paper reviews how Australia’s economy has adapted to a flexible Australian Dollar. The paper provides a background on the float and the initial policy challenges. It discusses the main elements of the Future Fund proposal, and estimates how much Australia and other...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that the three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility arrangement for Vietnam expired in April 2004. During the arrangement, Vietnam maintained strong economic growth and low inflation, and achieved further poverty reduction, supported by...

Tunisia showed strong economic performance, low inflation, and reduced poverty owing to its sound and transparent macroeconomic policies, trade liberalization, and social policies. Executive Directors commended this development, and stressed the need to tighten monetary and fiscal policies, and...

This paper studies the various Portuguese escudo exchange rate crises during the period 1992-95. Were they the result of the market evaluation of the Portuguese economy fundamentals? Were they the outcome of the expected political changes? Or, to the contrary, can we suggest self-fulfilling...