Release Date: March, 2007

This technical note analyzes the competition in the banking sector in Denmark. It reveals that Denmark has a fairly competitive and efficient banking sector. Measured by various indicators, more...

Release Date: February, 2007

This 2006 Article IV Consultation highlights that economic activity in Cyprus has recovered from a relatively weak performance in 2002–03. Declines in interest rates and strong capital inflows more...

Release Date: February, 2007

This Selected Issues paper applies a range of methods to assess Italy’s competitiveness gap versus other euro area members. All indicators point to a clear erosion of competitiveness in recent more...

Release Date: January, 2007

This Selected Issues paper aims at discussing the impact of the oil windfall on Chad, with a focus on growth, poverty, competitiveness, and fiscal policy challenges posed by the oil revenue outlook. more...

Release Date: December, 2006

This report includes five background studies with emphasis on vulnerabilities and growth, the focus of the 2006 Article IV Consultation with Uruguay. Stocks of key financial balance sheet more...

Release Date: November, 2006

Despite the oil price shock, growth has been high. Discussions focused on the policies needed to reduce Costa Rica’s vulnerabilities, enhance growth, and reduce poverty in a lasting way. more...

Release Date: November, 2006

This paper assesses Estonia’s flexibility from two angles. The paper focuses on one aspect of that performance—the ability to sustain competitiveness. Then, a more forward-looking angle more...

Release Date: October, 2006

A range of indicators point to a competitiveness gap of 10–20 percent with respect to euro area competitors. Closing the competitiveness gap will require an extended adjustment period, even more...

Release Date: October, 2006

Comoros faces significant economic and political challenges. The fiscal priorities are to restore revenues and curtail spending so that domestic arrears can be reduced and the program brought back on more...

Release Date: October, 2006

The principal policy task in Hungary is to place public finances on a sound footing. For monetary policy, the challenge is to identify one-off inflationary influences, communicate these to the public more...

Release Date: October, 2006

Important progress can be seen in the economic and policy environment in Portugal, but challenges remain. Firm implementation of strategy is essential to meet these challenges. It will be essential more...

Release Date: October, 2006

Mexico’s two main economic policy challenges are to fully entrench stability and to remove remaining obstacles to economic growth, necessary to end poverty. The floating exchange rate policy more...

Release Date: October, 2006

The report provides the third Review of the Republic of Croatia Under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA). Policies under the SBA have sought to reduce Croatia’s savings-investment imbalance and more...

Release Date: March, 2006

This Selected Issues paper provides a preliminary view on Afghanistan's external competitiveness through a review of some macroeconomic, microeconomic, and institutional indicators. It discusses the more...

Release Date: March, 2006

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that Belgium's growth has picked up following weakness in early 2005, mainly reflecting a negative contribution from the external sector and weak more...

Release Date: April, 2003

This paper analyzes competitiveness in the Baltics in the run-up to European Union accession. Several factors appear to have driven movements in equilibrium real exchange rates in the Baltics since more...

Author/Editor: R G Gelos, Jorge Roldos.

Release Date: November, 2002

This paper examines the evolution of market structure in emerging market banking systems during the 1990s. While significant bank consolidation has been taking place in these countries, reflected in more...