This paper discusses key findings of the Second Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program for Sierra Leone. Performance under the IMF-supported program was mixed. Output growth was strong at 6.8 percent and broad-based, but key fiscal revenue and spending objectives...

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 examines the Philippines’s 2004 Article IV Consultation and Post-Program Monitoring Discussions. GDP growth has exceeded expectations, but unemployment remains high. With exports staging a recovery and consumption boosted by overseas remittances and the election, GDP grew by...

El Salvador’s 2008 Article IV Consultation examines the country's economic developments and policies. In 2007, the fiscal position improved, the public debt-to-GDP ratio declined, and economic growth reached its highest level in a decade. The rise in global commodity prices has also...

This paper discusses key findings of the Fourth Review Under the Stand–By Arrangement for Belarus. All end-December quantitative and continuous performance criteria and structural benchmarks were met. Discussions focused on confirming the authorities’ commitment to program...

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...

This paper discusses key findings of the Fifth Review under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for The Gambia. The Gambia’s external debt position has worsened recently. The global economic crisis is undermining growth and the external balance. Performance on the...

The 2006 Article IV Consultation on the Republic of Tajikistan explains political and economic developments. Although Tajikistan’s external debt profile has improved significantly, total public and publicly guaranteed debt is projected to increase significantly, mainly because of large...

This paper examines Sri Lanka’s Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), and a Request for an Extended Arrangement. In line with the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and building on the progress made under the Stand-By Arrangement...

This paper studies the implications of foreign currency deposits (FCDs) for international liquidity shortages in Pakistan. The analysis focuses on how the large volume of FCDs and the specific institutional characteristics of those deposits have made the Pakistan economy highly vulnerable to...