In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

The Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Progress Report for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) reviews the strengths and weaknesses of poverty reduction objectives and strategies. The Lao PDR National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy...

This paper reviews the request from the São Tomé and Príncipe authorities for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). In 2004, the economy continued to grow at a moderate pace, but inflation increased to 15 percent by year-end, as bank credit to the...

This paper evaluates the Observance of Standards and Codes on the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation for New Zealand. New Zealand equity markets are comparatively small with market capitalization of about 44 percent of...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This paper examines Albania’s 2002 Article IV Consultation, First Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF), and Requests for Modification and Waiver of Performance Criterion. Economic growth appears to have fallen below a 7 percent...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

The Money and Banking Division of the Research Department of the South African Reserve Bank plans to conduct a review of its entire time series database following the implementation of new bank reporting structures in January 2001. This is a time-consuming process, and the release of a...

This paper reviews economic developments in the United Kingdom during 1991–96. The paper examines two sets of possible reasons why the United Kingdom's savings and investment rates are lower than elsewhere. The first consists of factors leading to lower optimal rates of savings and...

This paper reviews economic developments in Slovakia during 1995–96. Slovakia registered an impressive macroeconomic performance in 1995, among the best within the transition economies. Growth accelerated to 7.5 percent in 1995 from an already high rate of 5 percent in 1994, and inflation...