This 2007 Article IV Consultation highlights that the implementation of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF)-supported program was broadly satisfactory for Congo in 2004–05. However, expenditure overruns and delays in structural reforms pushed the program off track in 2006....

Lesotho is a small, landlocked, low-income country, with limited natural resources and a narrow production and export base. In recent Article IV consultations, IMF staff has emphasized the importance of ensuring that increases in outlays for poverty reduction are consistent with fiscal...

Mauritania achieved substantial progress owing to its macroeconomic policies, budget formulation, governance, and transparency under the economic program. Executive Directors commended the program and emphasized the need for tight fiscal and monetary policies. Directors noted the implementation...

Guinea has implemented an impressive policy shift toward macroeconomic stabilization under the economic program. Executive Directors commended this development and stressed the need for tight fiscal and monetary policies and welcomed the debt sustainability analysis and implementation of the...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Tunisia has weathered the impact of the current crisis relatively well. Real GDP growth slowed down from an average of 4.6 percent in 2008 to 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2009, reflecting mainly a fall in exports of manufactured goods to...

This paper discusses a request from Cameroon for Disbursement Under the Rapid-Access Component of the Exogenous Shocks Facility (RAC-ESF). Despite improvements, the economy of Cameroon remains vulnerable to commodity shocks, especially from oil; and reducing poverty is a challenge. The...

This paper presents the staff report for Kenya’s 2009 Article IV Consultation on economic development and policies. The progress Kenya achieved on the growth and poverty reduction fronts stalled in 2008 owing to a series of adverse developments, including the global economic crisis. The...

Background: Uruguay has experienced a decade of strong and inclusive expansion since its 2002 crisis, thanks to important institutional reforms, large-scale FDI projects attracted by Uruguay’s stable macroeconomic environment and business-friendly investment climate, and favorable external...

KEY ISSUES Context: The overall state of the economy remains strong despite lower metal prices and market turbulence in mid-2013. The economy is still operating somewhat near potential and continues to be one of the most dynamic in the region. However, the pace of growth slowed in 2013 as a...

KEY ISSUES Context. Macroeconomic and financial stability has been maintained despite the difficult environment globally—especially in neighboring Greece—and recent domestic discord, but growth remains tepid and unemployment high. Ambitious (and politically challenging) reforms are needed to...