This paper analyzes the impact of the global crisis on six South-Eastern European countries. The main objective is to compare macro-financial conditions and policies in the run-up to the crisis as well as to compare the policy responses to it, so as to highlight, inter alia, possible...

Fiscal problems have long been considered a central feature of financial--that is, currency, debt, and banking--crises. This paper addresses four questions: What are the fiscal causes of crises? Which fiscal vulnerability indicators help to predict crises? Can fiscal variables explain the...

This paper seeks to draw lessons from the IMF’s experience in handling financial crises around the globe over the past ten years that are relevant to the challenges faced by countries in Latin America, especially in the wake of the recent crisis in Argentina. Experience suggests that...

This staff report for the Request for Stand-By Arrangement of Hungary examines financing conditions and economic challenges. Hungary was among the first emerging market countries to suffer from the fallout of the current global financial crisis. Compared with other emerging markets,...

This 2010 Article IV Consultation highlights that the authorities’ adjustment program has contributed to limiting the fallout of the global crisis on Serbia. Although the output slump has been limited relative to regional peers, the decline in domestic demand has been significant,...

This paper examines Croatia’s 2004 Article IV Consultation and Request for Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Croatia has established a record of solid growth and low inflation since the mid-1990s. Real GDP growth has averaged about 4.5 percent, with inflation in the low single digits. This...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic growth in Yemen slowed in 2004 owing to a sharp contraction in the oil sector. Oil production declined by 5.9 percent, reflecting diminishing recovery from aging large oil fields as well as the absence of significant new discoveries....

This paper presents key findings of the First Review under the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) for the Republic of Serbia. The banking system of Serbia has weathered the external shocks well, but credit is slowing sharply. To safeguard economic stability in this markedly deteriorated environment, the...

This paper reviews the request from the São Tomé and Príncipe authorities for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). In 2004, the economy continued to grow at a moderate pace, but inflation increased to 15 percent by year-end, as bank credit to the...