An externally driven economic recovery has continued gathering strength in 2010 in Luxembourg. Executive Directors welcomed this development and the authorities’ supportive fiscal policy in 2010 as well as their role in stabilizing the financial sector. According to the Financial Sector...

This 2012 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic growth in Luxembourg slowed in 2011 amid the euro area sovereign debt crisis. Reflecting sluggish external demand, economic activity is expected to further weaken, with growth projected to decline to ½ percent in 2012. Executive...

Portugal’s economic adjustment has continued, but the contraction in output has been milder than expected. The 2012 outlook for Europe has deteriorated substantially, with growth revised down by 1¼ percentage points relative to spring forecasts. Substantially higher capital...

The global crisis exacerbated the Slovenian economy’s previous imbalances in the fiscal, financial, and real sectors. The authorities agreed that fiscal consolidation including pension, health care, and financial management is essential for sustainable recovery. The Bank of Slovenia...

The Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Program (EDPRP) was developed with the active participation and support of society, executive authorities, nongovernment organizations, academia, businessmen, and donors. The study additionally provides coordinated mechanisms for bilateral and...

The Selected Issues paper on Finland underlies public finances and structural reform. The structural reforms encompassing labor and product markets as well the pension system would substantially improve the outlook for fiscal sustainability. Reductions in labor and product market inefficiencies...

This Selected Issues paper attempts to quantify the impact of the demographic shift on growth and public finances in Switzerland. It examines the intertemporal consistency between current policy plans and unfunded liabilities, focusing primarily on social security, and explores policy options....

In March 1999, Poland implemented a systemic pension reform that involved the introduction of a multi-pillar pension system to replace the defined benefit (DB), pay-as-you-go (PAYG) system that had been operating since 1949. This technical note on the pension sector was elaborated as part of the...