Country Reports
2021
December 8, 2021
Republic of Uzbekistan: Technical Assistance Report-Multi-Topic Statistics Diagnostic
Description: At the request of the authorities, a remote multi-topic statistics diagnostic mission for Uzbekistan took place during March 1–19, 2021.1 In close cooperation with officials of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics (SSC), the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU), and the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the mission (i) assessed the collection, compilation, and dissemination practices for the datasets covered by the mission; (ii) identified key high-level priorities and developed a medium-term action plan for statistical improvement and the associated capacity development (CD) needs; and (iii) developed a roadmap for subscription to the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The mission covered the following topics: national accounts (NA) and prices, 2 government finance statistics (GFS) including public debt, external sector statistics (ESS), monetary and financial statistics (MFS), and SDDS subscription.
December 7, 2021
Albania: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Albania
Description: Albania’s economy has shown considerable resilience in the face of the 2019 earthquake and the pandemic. After the hardship endured in 2020, real GDP is rebounding strongly by a projected 7.8 percent in 2021. Policies have played a critical role in preserving lives and livelihoods and thereby paving the way for the recovery. The key challenges now are to invest efficiently in people and the economy to support the continued development of the country and to rebuild room for fiscal policy maneuver by lowering the very high fiscal deficit and public debt.
December 6, 2021
Australia: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Australia
Description: Strong health and economic policies allowed for quick economic recovery from initial COVID-19-related lockdowns in 2020. Renewed outbreaks and lockdowns have created setbacks since mid-2021, with disproportionate impacts on some regions, sectors, and workers. Accommodative macroeconomic policies have been instrumental in cushioning the economic impact.
December 3, 2021
Republic of Fiji: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Fiji
Description: Fiji has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic—with infection rates at one point among the highest in the world. Despite swift action by the government to close borders, protect the population, and mitigate the worst economic effects, the economic contraction was the worst in Fiji’s history. The crisis has come at a heavy social cost, including large-scale layoffs, surging unemployment, and high non-performing loans. Multilateral and bilateral support has been critical in helping Fiji weather the worst of the crisis and has facilitated a strong government response—including rapid acceleration of the government vaccination program underpinning Fiji’s reopening to international tourism.
December 2, 2021
United Republic of Tanzania: Request for Disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the United Republic of Tanzania
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted Tanzania’s macroeconomic outlook. The Tanzanian authorities are implementing a comprehensive emergency pandemic response plan to help mitigate the significant socioeconomic and health effects of the crisis, resulting in an ongoing urgent balance of payments need.
December 2, 2021
Algeria: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Algeria
Description: The concomitant Covid-19 pandemic and oil price shock in 2020 have taken a heavy toll on the Algerian economy and the population. The authorities’ response helped mitigate the social and economic impact of the crisis. Nevertheless, the crisis exacerbated the Algerian economy’s vulnerabilities, making even more urgent the need for a new, more inclusive and sustainable, growth model. A recovery is underway in 2021, but the outlook remains challenging. While the recent rebound in hydrocarbon prices should buoy the recovery and ease immediate financing constraints, addressing long-standing structural challenges will help to realize Algeria’s vast growth potential for the benefit of its population.
November 30, 2021
Guinea-Bissau: First Review Under the Staff Monitored Program
Description: After two years of protracted political turmoil and delays in reforms, the authorities put in place in 2021 an ambitious fiscal consolidation program to ensure debt sustainability while creating fiscal space to address vast developmental needs. In late July, a 9-month SMP was approved to support the government’s reform program aimed at stabilizing the economy, strengthening governance, and building a sound track-record of policy implementation towards an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. Guinea-Bissau is a fragile state with considerable needs to address the COVID-19 pandemic and developmental challenges. A Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) disbursement of SDR 14.2 million (50 percent of quota) was approved in January to provide urgent financing to support critical spending in health and catalyze additional donor resources. The RCF disbursement, the recent SDR 27.2 million allocation (96 percent of quota) and reforms underpinned by the SMP are contributing to address the adverse impact of the pandemic, improve government spending transparency and mitigate debt vulnerabilities, and create conditions that would help restore donor confidence and catalyze much-needed concessional financing.
November 29, 2021
Mongolia: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Mongolia
Description: A strong export-led recovery is underway. Despite early actions and a successful vaccination campaign, the pandemic is lingering in Mongolia as positivity rates remain high and borders largely closed. An export-led recovery which began in mid-2020, is gathering steam due to booming prices for Mongolia’s exports. Nevertheless, domestic demand, labor markets and the business sector remain weak. Policies were appropriately supportive during the pandemic. However, large, untargeted and continuing fiscal, quasi-fiscal and financial forbearance measures legislated by Parliament have heightened macrofinancial vulnerabilities: public debt has sharply increased, bank balance sheets have further weakened, and the Bank of Mongolia’s (BOM) operational independence has been compromised. On the plus side, external and fiscal buffers have been built, helped by the 2021 IMF SDR allocation of US$98.3 million (95.8 percent of quota), and the rollover of large external liabilities has increased policy space.
November 24, 2021
Ukraine: First Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement, Requests for Extension and Rephasing of Access of the Arrangement, Waivers of Nonobservance of a Performance Criterion, Financing Assurances Review, and Monetary Policy Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Ukraine
Description: After a number of critical setbacks and delays in the 16 months since program approval, the authorities have taken important corrective actions to address shocks to program objectives. Early tension around the authorities’ commitment to uphold the independence of the National Bank of Ukraine required a pause to assess policy continuity and to determine possible corrective actions. A prior action for this review and new commitments by the authorities provide a way forward in protecting a key policy pillar under the program. Similarly, adverse Constitutional Court rulings challenged the anticorruption framework in fundamental ways that required restoring its effectiveness before the review could proceed. In a push to make progress on delayed structural benchmarks, the authorities have recently met seven of the nine structural benchmarks set at the time of the program request.