This paper discusses the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s Second Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. Political pressures on tax administration and the granting of concessions to some manufacturers through increased protection on final goods and lower duty rates on raw...

This paper discusses key findings of the First Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for Afghanistan. Despite a difficult security environment and persistent expenditure pressures, Afghanistan’s performance during the first six months of 2006/07 was in line with...

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that Malawi is at a critical juncture following its progress on macroeconomic stability, attainment of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point in August 2006, and the recent launch of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy,...

This paper discusses the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Implementation Report 2003–04 for Mali. Progress has been made in the social sectors, even if some inadequacies remain. Budget allocations to the education and health sectors have improved, with budget resources allotted to...

With increasing frequency, the IMF has assisted middle-income countries, especially emerging economies, in adopting the types of budget reforms that have been introduced in many Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries - reforms that emphasize performance and...

This paper addresses issues relating to the establishment and financial management of extrabudgetary funds (EBFs), a large group of government entities that on average accounts for 40 to 45 percent of central government expenditure-two-thirds of which represents social security funds-in...

This paper discusses Iraq’s request for Stand-By Arrangement for 15 months from December 2005 through March 2007, which they intend to treat as precautionary. The authorities’ policies have succeeded in promoting overall macroeconomic stability despite the extremely difficult...

Zambia’s 2005 Article IV Consultation and Third Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility are discussed. Expenditure restraint, including on the wage bill, has helped to put the fiscal operations of the government on a sustainable course and contributed to the attainment of...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note reviews the first Annual Progress Report (APR) of The Gambia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The APR indicates that The Gambia’s progress in implementing the PRSP has been uneven. Slow implementation mainly reflected low capacity, a lack of...

Afghanistan’s economy continued to perform strongly under the staff-monitored program, resulting in rapid economic growth, inflation declining to single-digit levels, and the international reserves position strengthening further. At the same time, the authorities implemented key...