Real regional gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 6 percent in 2009, reflecting a collapse in tourist arrivals and foreign direct investment (FDI)-financed construction activity. The global financial and economic crisis has also exposed areas of significant weaknesses, notwithstanding...

Country practices towards managing financial risks on a sovereign balance sheet continue to evolve. Each crisis period, and its legacy on sovereign balance sheets, reaffirms the need for strengthening financial risk management. This paper discusses some salient features embedded in in the...

The Rwandan economy continued to grow strongly in 2011, and significant progress in poverty reduction has been achieved. The Fourth Review Under the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) highlights that the fiscal framework for 2012/13 is in line with the main objectives of the PSI, and the...

The government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has requested a three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement with access of 120 percent of quota in support of their reform program. It aims to restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen the external position, and engender...

The performance of the Gambian economy has been strong in recent years. The authorities noted that in addition to providing financial resources, the program has helped to restore compliance with the rules on government borrowing from the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) following securitization...

This paper explores the relationship between the level and management of public debt and financial stability, and explains the channels through which the two are interlinked. It suggests that the broader implications of a debt management strategy and its implementation should be carefully...

Low-income countries continue to face significant challenges in meeting their vast development needs while maintaining a sustainable debt position, even after many of these countries have benefited from substantial debt relief. These challenges are further exacerbated by changes in the financial...

This paper discusses key findings of the Fifth Review under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) for The Gambia. The Gambia’s external debt position has worsened recently. The global economic crisis is undermining growth and the external balance. Performance on the...

The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) countries financial system has increasingly come under stress particularly through weakly supervised nonbank and offshore financial sectors with knock-on effects to domestic banks. The staff report focuses on ECCU’s 2009 discussion on common...

Over the last decade, the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) macroeconomic performance has deteriorated relative to the rest of the Caribbean. Tourism accounts for three-fifths of exports, and the import content of consumption and investment is high. The ECCB-operated quasi-currency board...