This Financial System Stability Assessment report provides a review of .Italian financial system. The announcement of outright monetary transactions (OMT) and steps toward a banking union have blunted the impact of the sovereign debt crisis on banks, and the expansion of European Central Bank...

This 2009 Article IV Consultation highlights that Sweden has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Two of its banks built up large exposures in the Baltics that significantly increased loan losses beyond normal recessionary levels. In response to the crisis, the authorities have taken...

Raising growth on a sustainable basis and addressing widespread poverty are the main challenges for Paraguay. The macroeconomic program for 2007 aims at raising growth and reducing inflation. IMF staff recommends that the next Article IV Consultation continues within the 24-month cycle, and...

Improvements in macroeconomic conditions are encouraging, and the current macroeconomic framework for 2006 and 2007 remains valid in Paraguay. The strong fiscal performance has applied also to the rest of the public sector. The authorities have submitted a budget proposal for 2007 that preserves...

The recent tightening of credit conditions in segments of mature financial markets abroad has not had an impact on Paraguay. The current mix of macroeconomic policies combined with favorable external conditions and the appreciation of the guaraní, have facilitated strong program performance and...

Paraguay’s Fifth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement and Request for Waiver of Performance Criteria are discussed. The overall fiscal position remains in surplus, the exchange rate weakened slightly with respect to the U.S. dollar, but considerably with respect to the Brazilian real,...

Paraguay’s Fourth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement and Request for Waiver of Performance Criteria are examined. The main challenge is to consolidate the macroeconomic gains achieved thus far and deepen structural reform. A stable macroeconomic environment will be the key for creating...

Paraguay’s Sixth Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement reports that the program is ending successfully, having achieved the broad objectives of restoring stability and beginning a process of structural reform, albeit with some delays. At the time of program approval in 2003, Paraguay had...

The aim of this paper is to take a closer look at IMF conditionality in the banking sector. Our analysis shows that while such conditionality became more stringent following the Asian crisis, compliance has remained broadly unchanged, comparing unfavorably with other structural reforms. The...

Recent financial sector crises and their resolution have raised new issues and provided additional experiences to draw on in the future. Banking sector problems in Russia, Turkey, and a few Latin American countries occurred within the context of highly dollarized economies, high levels of...