Singapore’s recent economic performance has been impressive, underpinned by prudent macroeconomic management. Economic activity remains strong despite a softening in external demand. On the demand side, domestic demand strengthened driven by private consumption and investment while net...

This paper on the First Assessment Under the 2008 Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) for the Republic of Tajikistan discusses the ongoing global financial crisis. The main purpose of the SMP is to allow the authorities to reestablish their credibility after a serious episode of misreporting to the...

Pakistan’s authorities have requested a 23-month Stand-By Arrangement for SDR 5.169 billion in support of their macroeconomic stabilization program. The authorities’ program envisages a tightening of fiscal and monetary policies to bring down inflation and reduce the external...

Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy provides a medium-term framework for achieving the country’s long-term development goals and aspirations as embodied in Rwanda Vision 2020, the seven-year Government of Rwanda programme, and the Millennium Development...

The staff report for the Request for a Stand-by Arrangement with officials of Ukraine discusses economic developments and policies. Assuming a global recovery in the second half of 2009, the Ukrainian economy could be back at its estimated potential growth rate by 2011. The large financing gaps...

The key findings of Republic of Armenia’s Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper are reviewed. Macroeconomic and fiscal framework has been completely revised, taking into account the 2007 outcomes, tendencies developed during 2008, and challenges, particularly the projected increase of...

The paper reviews recent developments in the pass-through of international to domestic petroleum product prices, in the different fuel pricing regimes, and in fuel subsidies in a range of emerging market and developing economies. The main finding of the paper is the limited price pass-through in...

European finance is becoming increasingly cross-border, while the European architecture for safeguarding financial stability - including decision-making processes for providing financial-stability public goods - have remained decentralized with some explicit mechanisms for coordination across...