The macroeconomic objectives of the 1999 Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) have been broadly achieved in Sudan. The macroeconomic situation at the end of 1999 was modestly more expansionary than programmed. Budget expenditure was maintained below the program level throughout the year and a surge in...

The impact of the global crisis was milder in Australia than in other advanced economies owing to strong demand from Asia and decisive policy responses. Australian banks were resilient to the global crisis, and the labor market was flexible in the face of the shock. The exit from fiscal stimulus...

Portugal’s 2008 Article IV Consultation highlights that Portugal’s financial system remains sound and well supervised. Portugal has accumulated substantial macroeconomic imbalances, and the policy challenge is to smooth the adjustment, containing domestic demand while increasing productivity...

This 2008 Article IV Consultation highlights that Burundi is emerging slowly from more than a decade of civil conflict. GDP per capita is about US$139, and only 18 percent of the population is food secure. Economic growth slowed down while inflation increased in 2007. External developments were...

This 2010 Article IV Consultation highlights that macroeconomic outcomes have weakened significantly for St. Lucia. Real GDP is estimated to have contracted by 5.2 percent in 2009, reflecting a sharp decline in visitor arrivals and construction activity related to foreign direct investment. For...

The case study of Hungary clarifies the specific macroeconomic policy requirements of countries in transition from centrally planned to market economies. The study, edited by Karen A. Swiderski, covers the period through 1990 and provides material needed to develop consistent projections of...

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 is...

This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that Tonga’s real GDP growth is estimated to turn negative in FY06/07, declining by 31⁄2 percent. The economy will continue to be subject to uncertainty and shocks. While economic growth should return to positive, albeit low, levels in the medium...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Singapore has been severely affected by the global downturn. The collapse in external demand has led to a sharp contraction in GDP, which fell by almost 13 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Executive Directors have observed that the floating...

The Asian crisis hit the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) economy hard in 1998, despite its generally strong fundamentals. In response to the crisis, the authorities eased fiscal policy—within the framework of a medium plan to restore budget balance, and significantly strengthened...