Commodity prices play an important role in economic developments in most of the 24 Western and Central African (WCA) countries covered in this paper. It is confirmed that in the light of rising commodity prices between 1999 and 2005, net oil exporters recorded strong growth rates while net...

This paper examines the fiscal policy challenges for oil-centred economies over the past few years in general, focusing on developments in four major oil-exporting countries in EU neighbouring regions: Algeria, Nigeria, Russia and Saudi Arabia

This paper presents a survey of methods for assessing fiscal soundness, i.e. the capability of governments to honour their obligations in the short run and in the long run. The need for a comprehensive monitoring of fiscal soundness derives from the risks to economic stability that arise from...