This Annual Progress Report (APR) reviews the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Noticeable improvements have also occurred in many economic, social, institutional, and legal development areas. While strengthening the management of the public...

The Selected Issues paper on Jordan analyzes the Jordanian dinar, which has historically operated within a fixed exchange rate regime. The deterioration in 2004 and 2005 reflected an exceptionally rapid increase in imports, as the saving-investment balance shifted. Following an improvement in...

This Selected Issues paper analyzes the underlying factors that explain the behavior of the Kiwi dollar. The findings suggest that the factors influencing the New Zealand dollar have been changing. The paper discusses that as New Zealand has become more integrated in global capital markets over...

The strong economic and financial position of Kuwait has improved further, but inflation has risen. The nation has made significant progress on the issues raised in the 2007 consultation. Kuwait’s integration into the global economy has been increasing in recent years. Global integration...

This paper discusses key findings of the First Review under the Stand-By Arrangement for the Republic of Armenia. In light of the large increase in Armenia’s financing needs, the authorities have requested an augmentation of IMF resources in the amount of 180 percent of quota. The revised...

The 2011 Article IV Consultation highlights that low growth is expected for Montserrat in 2011 after sharp output contractions in 2009–10. Stress in the financial sector and slower-than-expected development of major capital investment projects continue to limit prospects for growth....

An outward-oriented development strategy and prudent financial policies resulted in an impressive economic growth and led to a large accumulation of external financial assets. The major Emirates intend to leverage the favorable economic environment to carry out reforms that will encourage more...

This paper focuses on Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The economic sectors have undergone significant restructuring. This restructuring has been concentrated on production capacities, quality and efficiency, thus contributing to economic...

This paper discusses key findings of the Fourth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement for Georgia. The strategy remains appropriate, and program targets for 2010 are in line with those presented at the Third Review. Fiscal policy will transition from an expansionary stance in 2009 to a path of...

This Selected Issues paper assesses The Gambia’s external competitiveness by reviewing developments in several indicators, ranging from exchange rate-based indices to survey-based assessments of the investment climate. The paper reviews the evolution of several multilateral and bilateral...