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...

Tonga’s economy has become increasingly vulnerable. Fiscal discipline has weakened, undermining macroeconomic stability and external viability. Medium-term prospects have deteriorated. Moreover, there are other serious downside risks to the fiscal outlook. Further monetary tightening in...

Mauritania was one of the countries to reach the completion point under the enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries. The revised fiscal, balance of payments, and monetary data, including data on commercial banks, revealed that the main program parameters were missed by large...

This paper discusses the 2006 Article IV Consultation for Moldova and Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. The economic growth of Moldova has continued to be robust, although the drivers of growth—household consumption and...

Cambodia achieved macroeconomic stability underpinned by prudent fiscal and monetary policies. Executive Directors commended this development. They welcomed the National Strategic Development Plan for reducing poverty, enhancing physical infrastructure, and improving social services. They...

Prospects for the future remain favorable, provided that policy actions are taken to address the risks and challenges that China faces. The government recognizes the need to contain investment and credit growth, and has tightened the monetary policy in response. Greater exchange rate flexibility...

The report provides the third Review of the Republic of Croatia Under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Policies under the SBA have sought to reduce Croatia’s savings-investment imbalance and stabilize the external debt-to-GDP ratio. Executive Directors agreed that the main success of the...

This paper on the Enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) for the Republic of Congo explains medium-to-long-term strategy for poverty reduction. Emerging from a conflict situation, and starting from a low base, Congo has made significant progress in implementing...

This paper presents a preliminary assessment of the eligibility of Haiti for assistance under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It discusses the medium-to-long-term macroeconomic framework, poverty, social, and...

This paper discusses Sierra Leone’s Request for a Three-Year Arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Sierra Leone has made considerable progress during the last PRGF-supported program toward macroeconomic stability. Macroeconomic performance was generally...