This paper discusses the Kyrgyz Republic’s First Review Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility. The current account deficit remained broadly unchanged because of a significant increase in workers’ remittances, mainly from Russia and Kazakhstan. Large negative errors and...

The staff report for the Sixth Review Under the Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility on the Kyrgyz Republic highlights the economic developments and policies. To ensure that the external debt ratios fall, the program introduces a new indicative target for...

This paper on the midyear review of the 2005 staff-monitored program for Sudan reports that after a mixed performance under the staff-monitored program, the authorities are taking corrective measures to bring the program back on track. They imposed strict controls on nonpriority government...

This Selected Issues paper and Statistical Appendix presents an overview of the fiscal developments in Mongolia since the late 1990s. It assesses the “quality†of the ongoing fiscal adjustment. The paper examines the dramatic expansion of bank credit to the private sector over the last...

In the social sectors, encouraging results were obtained in education. The Ten-Year Education Program was finalized, creating a solid basis for the implementation of actions in this sector. According to the most recent estimates, the basic enrolment rate was 41.7 percent in 2002 compared with...

This report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Paraguay examines the Fiscal Transparency Module. Paraguay has made important progress toward greater fiscal transparency. The fairly comprehensive financial administration law has been complemented by legal reforms that eliminated most tax...

The paper assesses the United Kingdom's golden rule and debt rule against "ideal characteristics" of fiscal rules. It concludes that they are clearly defined; transparent in institutional arrangements and measurement; adequate to ensure sustainability; and strike a good balance between flexibility...

Fiscal policy in oil-producing countries can be profoundly affected by oil revenue uncertainty and volatility. Policy formulation should factor in the exhaustibility of the natural resources and aim at reducing oil revenue volatility passed on to the economy. Past fiscal policy in Nigeria has...

In the 1990s, transition countries underwent large adjustments to address fiscal imbalances. This paper examines whether the factors identified in the literature on advanced economies, the size and composition of adjustment, are important in transition economies. It finds that larger...

This paper assesses changes in the size and scope of government in 24 transition economies. Whereas these governments have retrenched in terms of public expenditures in relation to GDP, as well as public employment as a share of population, some indicators suggest that size remains high (e.g.,...