Nigeria’s 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that major macroeconomic imbalances had emerged as a result of sharp increases in government spending and expressed concern at the risks of a further acceleration of inflation and continuing instability in the exchange market. The overall...

This paper on the Baltic countries analyzes medium-term fiscal issues related to European Union (EU) and NATO accession. The paper supports the Baltic authorities’ intention to aim at balancing their budgets over the economic cycle. The paper describes the Baltics’ current fiscal...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix reviews Mozambique’s impressive economic growth, its composition, and its impact on poverty reduction over the past decade. The paper highlights that improvements in total factor productivity, resulting from a stable macroeconomic...

This 2002 Article IV Consultation highlights that after four years of strong growth, economic activity in Cyprus has tailed off since late 2001, affected by the global economic slowdown. The authorities estimate growth for 2002 to have declined to 2.3 percent, with falling tourist arrivals and...

The staff report for the 2005 Article IV Consultation on the People’s Republic of China highlights economic developments and fiscal policy. The continued robust growth owes much to the favorable external environment, with judicious macroeconomic policies, continued structural reforms, and...

This paper analyzes the capital markets and financial intermediation in the Baltic States. It provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and level of development of the financial system, discussing some of the unique characteristics of the Baltics, such as leasing; and comparing the...

This Selected Issues paper on Algeria reports that the authorities have relied on an expansionary fiscal stance to stimulate growth and employment, but structural reforms have virtually stalled. Although the economy has recorded increasing growth, the nonhydrocarbon sector remains small and...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix surveys the main reasons for Papua New Guinea’s disappointing economic performance, highlighting the key impediments to growth in each of the main sectors of the economy. The paper outlines the structural reforms that could help reduce...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix for the Kingdom of the Netherlands—Aruba underlies long-term growth and fiscal sustainability. Aruba’s fiscal position has been deteriorating since the turn of the century, and the medium-term fiscal sustainability analysis shows...

This Selected Issues paper describes the recent economic developments in The Gambia. The paper highlights that the economic performance of The Gambia deteriorated sharply in 2002, as sparse rainfall led to a decline of one-third in agricultural output. Real GDP shrank by 3 percent. However,...