This paper discusses key findings of the Second Review Under the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) and New Program for 2007 for Liberia. Performance under the SMP in the quarter to end-September was mixed. The authorities achieved all but one of the quantitative benchmarks, but they needed more time...

This report provides an assessment of fiscal transparency practices in Serbia in relation to the requirements of the IMF Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency. Serbia has made solid advances in fiscal transparency in recent years, but there are still some major shortcomings. This report...

After the 2009 crisis, policies have improved markedly, backed by substantial foreign assistance. Notably, fiscal adjustment has reduced the large budget imbalance, monetary policy has tamed inflation, and structural reforms have spurred strong export expansion. These reforms led to impressive...

This paper discusses key findings of the Fourth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement for Bulgaria. Performance in 2006 was broadly satisfactory, although structural reform implementation was weaker than expected. Notably, the government postponed until mid-2007 the launching of the electronic...

Structural reforms and prudent economic policies have helped Chile’s successful economic performance. Executive Directors commended the sound macroeconomic policies, the structural fiscal surplus rule, and the robust financial system. They appreciated Chile's monetary policy stance and...

The paper discusses key findings of the Fourth Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for the Kyrgyz Republic. Output is rebounding and inflation remains subdued. However, most end-December 2006 and end-March 2007 structural benchmarks have been missed, partly because of...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that despite a difficult political environment, economic growth in Ecuador is estimated to have exceeded 3 percent in 2005, with the non-oil sector expanding by 3½ percent. The strong growth in the oil sector that followed the completion of the new...

This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that growth in Finland has outpaced the euro area average. Inflation is among the lowest in the European Union, and the external current account and general government budget are both comfortably in surplus. The labor market has improved markedly...

This paper discusses a request from Malawi for a one-year exogenous shocks facility (ESF) arrangement to help it adjust to the large terms-of-trade shock it has suffered. Real GDP growth of Malawi has been high and is expected to remain solid. Inflation, though rising in recent months, is still...

This paper discusses Bulgaria’s prospects for converging to the living standards of the more advanced members of the European Union (EU). The unfavorable economic environment of the early 1990s and the economic crisis in 1996–97 hurt Bulgaria’s output, employment, and...