The staff report for the Third Review under the Stand-By Arrangement and request for establishment of performance criteria focuses on Peru’s economic developments, outlook, and program for 2006. The Peruvian economy continues to perform well. Fiscal transparency has been increased,...

Strong economic policies and a supportive external environment have contributed to rapid growth, low inflation, strengthened external position, and an improved debt structure helping Uruguay perform well under the Stand-By Arrangement. Executive Directors commended the fiscal and monetary...

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 discussions centered on the needed steps to tighten monetary conditions, curb banks’ external borrowing, and reduce banks’ vulnerability to a sharp deterioration in the quality of loan portfolios. Strong expansion in oil and non-oil receipts in 2005 permitted continued rapid...

Uruguay’s Second Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement and Requests for Modification, Waiver of Nonobservance and Applicability of Performance Criteria are discussed. Growth remains robust, inflation is subdued, and the external position continues to strengthen, with buoyant exports and...

Slovenia is set to become the first among the new European Union member states to adopt the euro. Executive Directors emphasized the need to implement policies that increase productivity, create an efficient business environment and a flexible labor market, and improve sustainability of public...

Highly favorable external conditions have helped Latin America strengthen its economic fundamentals over the last decade. But, has the region built enough buffers to guard itself from a weakening of the external environment? This paper addresses this question by developing a simple framework...

Even after one of the most severe multi-year crises on record in the advanced economies, the received wisdom in policy circles clings to the notion that high-income countries are completely different from their emerging market counterparts. The current phase of the official policy approach is...

Current account deficits imply increasing liabilities to the rest of the world. External sustainability then depends on whether these can be met in the future without defaulting, i.e., normally through trade account surpluses. To run such surpluses without a fall in consumption, capital inflows...

This staff report discusses Seychelles 2013 Article IV Consultation, Seventh Review Under the Extended Arrangement and Request for Modification of Performance Criterion. The repayment of domestic debt, a preference for foreign financing, and shallow domestic financial markets have resulted in...