This Review of Financial Sector Regulation and Supervision in Labuan, Malaysia, highlights the supervisory and antimoney laundering frameworks. Labuan, an offshore financial center located in Malaysia, has all the essential elements for a suitable framework for financial supervision....

South Africa’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that the short-term outlook is broadly favorable, with the main risks arising from a possible worsening of the external environment. The authorities plan to maintain a flexible exchange rate, and to intervene in the foreign exchange...

This paper examines Madagascar’s Sixth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Madagascar’s performance under the program in 2004 has been broadly satisfactory, particularly in light of the difficult economic environment that...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Annex examines the impact of cocoa taxation on cocoa supply in Ghana. The paper describes historical developments in cocoa production. The effects of the taxation of cocoa in Ghana are evaluated and a dynamic model of cocoa supply is estimated and used...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix reviews Mozambique’s impressive economic growth, its composition, and its impact on poverty reduction over the past decade. The paper highlights that improvements in total factor productivity, resulting from a stable macroeconomic...

This Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) on Djibouti explains past strategies and the PRSP formulation process. Djibouti suffers from a gross lack of reliable health statistics. Available information gives only a fragmented picture of the reality, but globally, it reveals a difficult health...

This Selected Issues paper for the People’s Republic of China—Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) reviews the residential property market and implications of an aging population. The fiscal sector impact of price fluctuations is important in Hong Kong SAR with land sales...

This paper reviews economic developments in Germany during 1990–95. In early 1995, both western and eastern Germany seemed well poised to continue on their respective growth paths. However, the economy was then confronted by a sharp nominal appreciation of the deutsche...

Sri Lanka’s 2005 Article IV Consultation reports that the fiscal deficit exceeded budget targets, and with a significant amount of government financing provided by the central bank, the growth in monetary aggregates increased, contributing to higher inflation. The near-term economic...

This paper focuses on Ukraine’s 2005 Article IV Consultation and Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement. After four years of strong activity, annual growth has slowed sharply, from a peak of about 12 percent in 2004 to 3 percent for January–September 2005. Fiscal...