There has been a marked deterioration in the economic and financial performance of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) as a whole. These developments reflected unfavorable terms of trade, political conflicts in certain countries, and a weakening of adjustment policies. Progress...

This paper focuses on Ex Post Assessment of Longer-Term Program Engagement for Guinea. Guinea’s stabilization and reform efforts have been almost continuously supported by IMF financial arrangements since 1987. The paper reviews developments under the last two IMF-supported programs...

This Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for Nigeria highlights the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). NEEDS gives special support to agriculture, industry, small and medium-scale enterprises, and oil and gas. Under the plan, the government will seek long-term capital...

This Selected Issues paper on Azerbaijan Republic reports that the government has made substantial progress in dealing with energy-related subsidies. The domestic market for oil products has been tightly regulated by the government since Azerbaijan gained independence. Azerbaijan is largely...

This Financial System Stability Assessment paper for Ukraine reviews financial sector issues and highlights macroeconomic developments, vulnerabilities, and soundness of the financial system. It discusses creditors' rights, insolvency, and corporate governance, and Anti-Money Laundering and...

This Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix paper analyzes recent economic developments in Guinea-Bissau. The paper highlights the structural problems that will need to be addressed over the next few years if Guinea-Bissau is to break through the downward spiral of declining economic activity,...

This Selected Issues paper focuses on the insolvency of the National Bank of Fiji (NBF). As of June 1995, an estimated two-thirds of its loan portfolio was judged to be nonperforming (7½ percent of GDP), with slim chances of recovery, leaving the bank with a negative net worth estimated at...

The Zimbabwean economy has deteriorated progressively over the past four years. Executive Directors expressed deep concern about this, and stressed the need to implement strong macroeconomic, monetary, fiscal, and structural policies. They urged the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to ensure that banks...

Exporters are permitted to sell their foreign export earnings freely in the exchange market or to retain them in accounts with domestic banks. The surrender requirements for export earnings of coffee and tea have been reduced from 90 percent to 50 percent at end-1996 and eliminated at...

This paper assesses Malawi’s 2002 Article IV Consultation and Economic Program for 2002. Malawi’s economic program was guided by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process. The program has been designed in close collaboration with the World Bank and other members of the...