The degree of an economy’s monetization, which has an important implication on economic growth, can be affected by the conduct of monetary policy, financial sector reform, and episodes of financial crises. The paper finds that monetization--measured by the ratio of broad money to nominal...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that the economic recovery in Mexico that began in mid-2003 has continued in 2005, though at a slower pace. A broad-based expansion of economic activity in 2004, driven by a rebound of private consumption and private investment, took growth up to 4.4...

This paper examines Peru’s Request for a Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Performance under the 2002–03 SBA was satisfactory. This performance provides a solid basis for continuing with policies aimed at maintaining macroeconomic stability. The authorities are requesting a 26-month SBA...

This paper discusses key findings of the Third Review for Peru and Inflation Consultation Under the Stand-By Arrangement. All performance criteria for end-December 2007 and end-March 2008 were observed, but inflation in March exceeded the upper limit of the program’s consultation band...

Peru’s macroeconomic policies continue to be strong under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Executive Directors appreciated the implementation of policies to entrench macroeconomic stability, lower poverty, and lessen vulnerabilities, and also emphasized the need to maintain a prudent...

Despite the impact of Hurricane Ivan, the economic activity of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has strengthened. Executive Directors welcomed the developments and the tax policy aimed to broaden the tax base and reduce concessions. They appreciated the home-grown Interim Poverty Reduction...

Overly expansionary macroeconomic policies contributed to a widening of current account deficits, an unsustainable buildup of public debt, and the erosion of international reserves. The Belize government has already made commendable strides in correcting macroeconomic imbalances, based on...

This paper examines Turkey’s Seventh Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement, and Requests for Waiver of Applicability and Nonobservance of Performance Criteria. Successful macroeconomic management delivered an impressive economic performance in 2003. However, budget slippages interrupted...

The continued decline in oil production and the absence of sustained adjustment policies have contributed to Gabon's uneven economic performance over the past three years. To strengthen further the track record before discussing a possible IMF-supported program, a staff-monitored program has...

Analyzing and projecting the behavior of macroeconomic variables in new EU member states presents special challenges, owing to limited time series of the available data. This paper presents an analysis of investment in Poland based on an underexplored sectoral data set. The determinants of...