Many of the distortions in poorly performing economies do not originate in the banking sector, but where state banks still control a large share of the resources in the banking system, they continue to pose a risk to macroeconomic and fiscal stability. State banks are typically vehicles for...

The study reviews the performance of four transition countries - Albania, Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Moldova - in the areas of private, and financial sector development, identifying both their achievements, and challenges, to extract beneficial reform efforts, and alternative...

The study reviews the performance of four transition countries - Albania, Azerbaijan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Moldova - in the areas of private, and financial sector development, identifying both their achievements, and challenges, to extract beneficial reform efforts, and alternative...

This paper assesses the role of non-bank financial institutions and capital markets in the financial sectors of the eight first-wave of Eastern European EU accession countries (the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia), the current state of...

The case studies were developed in order to help Bank task team leaders, and their client country counterparts, design and support effective microfinance components, within social funds. The case studies aim to highlight best practice, as well as challenges for designing, and implementing a...