This 2004 Article IV Consultation for Panama reports that the medium-term outlook is encouraging, assuming implementation of the authorities’ fiscal program, which should put the public debt ratio on a steadily declining path. The banking system experienced a substantial recovery in...

The three-point VAT increase is part of a package in which unemployment payroll taxes will be reduced. Risks to the recovery are balanced but the range of forecasts for 2007 is unusually wide. The priority for Germany is to transmit its external strength to the domestic economy, thus further...

Gabon partially complies with the principles of the Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency and the Guide on Resource Revenue Transparency. Much remains to be done to ensure that government finances are managed transparently, in conformity with international best practices. Knowledge and...

The report on the Netherlands on the Observance of Standards and Codes discusses the fiscal transparency module and the Aide-Mémoire regarding the fiscal framework. The roles and responsibilities of and within government are, in general, clearly defined and, in many areas, the Netherlands sets...

Public–private partnerships, or PPPs, have the potential to address a range of urban economic issues. As of late 2012, thirty-two U.S. states and Puerto Rico had enacted legislation enabling the use of PPPs. PPP enabling laws address such issues as the treatment of unsolicited PPP proposals,...

This report evaluates Morocco’s fiscal transparency practices and assesses compliance with the IMF’s Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency. Morocco’s fiscal management system, which remains highly centralized, is essentially reliable and supported by legal...

The staff report for the combined consultation and 2005 Article IV Consultation on Gabon highlights economic developments and policies. Preparing Gabon for the post-oil era requires strengthening the efficiency of the public sector and providing a framework for private sector development to...

This 2004 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic growth in El Salvador in recent years has been dampened by adverse external conditions, major earthquakes, and election-related uncertainties. Real GDP growth is estimated at about 1½ percent in 2004 while inflation picked up to more...