The transition from a payment system on paper support to an electronic one in Romania was determined, on the one hand, by the development of the financial markets and the significant increase of the activity performed by means of payment systems, and on the other hand, by the need to move to a...

Currently U.S. firms hold record amounts of cash. The authors explore cross-sectional variation in cash holdings of U.S. publicly traded firms to shed light on the reasons for this recent trend. First, they identify factors that correlate with cash holdings and then examine the evolution of...

A description of cash management methods, covering collection, disbursement, and investment techniques. Topics include lock boxes, wire transfers, depository transfer checks, controlled disbursement, zero balancing, money-market instruments, and sweeping arrangements.

The financial stability of Chad is analyzed in this study. Chad's financial system is one of the least developed in the CEMAC region. Chad’s financial system is highly dependent on oil and agriculture, since it is a low-income country. In structuring the financial sector, the soundness...

The main challenges for this review were to further redress long-running problems in the energy sector and to balance fiscal policy requirements for development spending with macroeconomic stability. The financial position of the state-owned electricity company (KESH) deteriorated significantly...

A financial program that aims to ensure macroeconomic stability of Iraq was discussed. The Iraqi economy was severely affected in 2009 by the decline in oil prices. Macroeconomic stability was maintained in 2010, despite a highly uncertain domestic and external environment. Policy discussions...

This paper discusses key findings of the Financial System Stability Assessment on Cyprus. The assessment reveals that the banking system of Cyprus has managed to avoid the worst effects of the global financial crisis, but stress tests confirmed that credit risk remains high. The assessment...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Bangladesh’s external position strengthened considerably in FY2009 and the first four months of FY2010. Strong remittances, resilient exports, and weak imports caused the current account of the balance of payments to record a surplus of...

The staff report for the 2006 Article IV Consultation on Antigua and Barbuda highlights the economic backdrop and outlook for restoring sound public finances. The government of Antigua and Barbuda has adopted an ambitious reform program in its endeavor to pull the economy from decades of fiscal...

This paper discusses key findings of the Sixth and Final Review for Malawi Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Performance remained generally strong in the period under review. The authorities met most program targets for end-December 2007, and domestic debt fell as a share...