This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Annex on Paraguay analyzes the financial crisis of June 1997. The lingering effects of the 1995 financial crisis and the subsequent deterioration of performance of several Paraguayan domestic banks resulted in a new crisis in 1997. The paper highlights...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that the economy of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste remains fragile. Cumulative growth over the last three years was near zero—mainly reflecting the drawdown in the presence of international agencies. Unemployment is high, 40 percent of...

There is an urgent need to re-establish a viable external position through a comprehensive, swift, and sustained policy adjustment. The fiscal adjustment will need to rest on both wide-ranging tax revenue measures and substantial expenditure restraint, including a freeze of current expenditure....

This paper describes economic developments in Kingdom of the Netherlands—Aruba during the 1990s. During 1993–94, Aruba’s economic expansion continued at a brisk pace, albeit somewhat slower than the very high rates of growth attained during the late 1980s. Growth was mainly...

This paper assesses Cambodia’s Fifth Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and a Request for Waiver of a Performance Criterion. Cambodia’s medium-term reform program supported by the PRGF is aimed at sustaining economic growth with low inflation, reducing...

Trinidad and Tobago has enjoyed positive growth, low inflation, and a steady decline in unemployment, but challenges remain. Executive Directors commended the prudent management, and stressed the need for a macroeconomic framework underpinned by a three-year rolling budget and pension reform....

In the aftermath of adverse supply shocks, and with further measures to promote investment, growth of production and exports is expected to recover. Efforts to remove barriers to investment and ensure a reliable provision of electricity are critical to private-sector-led growth. External...

This paper reviews the IMF’s discussions with Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s (ECCU) regional institutions. Discussions focused on the outlook for 2003 and the policy responses needed to arrest the fiscal deterioration and to achieve consolidation over the medium term. Although...

This Selected Issues paper examines saving trends in New Zealand. The paper highlights that although national saving has risen since the early 1990s, it remains below the levels recorded in the early 1980s, and the increase has been insufficient to finance the additional investment expenditure...

This paper examines Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s 2001 Article IV Consultation and Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Over the past 18 months, the Lao authorities have acted decisively to reduce inflation from triple-...