Country Reports
2019
May 31, 2019
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Third Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
Description: This paper discusses Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s Third Review of Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility. The program aims at entrenching macroeconomic stability, supporting inclusive and job creating growth, and building international reserve buffers. The authorities plan to use the prospective fiscal space prudently for priority social spending—education, health, and social protection—and public infrastructure. The economic outlook has improved, buoyed by more favorable terms of trade and the upcoming development of a large offshore gas field. Growth is projected to accelerate to 6 3/4 percent this year, supported by a recovery in extractive sectors and continued broad-based non-extractive growth reflecting strong domestic demand and budding diversification. Downside risks related to global economic developments, commodity price volatility, and regional security concerns remain elevated. Considerable challenges remain to entrench macroeconomic stability, support inclusive growth, and build resilience to shocks. The prospective fiscal space should be used prudently for priority social policies and public infrastructure.
May 30, 2019
Zimbabwe: Staff-Monitored Program-Press Release and Staff Report
Description: This paper discusses the Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) for Zimbabwe and highlights that the new government that assumed office following the July 2018 elections is committed to addressing the macroeconomic imbalances, removing structural distortions to facilitate a resumption in growth, and to re-engaging with the international community including by clearing its external arrears. The SMP will be monitored on a quarterly basis and is intended to assist the authorities in building a track record of implementation of a coherent set of economic and social policies that can facilitate a return to macroeconomic stability and assist in reengagement with the international community. With limited access to external financing and the very low level of international reserves, the authorities’ room for manoeuvre is very narrow. There are also significant implementation risks of the monetary and exchange rate reforms, as well as addressing governance and corruption weaknesses, which could adversely impact the attainment of SMP objectives.
May 23, 2019
El Salvador: 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for El Salvador
Description: This 2019 Article IV Consultation discusses that structural reforms, strengthened policy frameworks and the ongoing smooth political transition have laid the foundations for sustained growth in El Salvador. The discussions focused on policies that build on these achievements and address fiscal vulnerabilities, boost long-term growth, and strengthen the governance, anticorruption and Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism frameworks. Continued US dollar appreciation led to a significant decline in inflation and widening of the current account deficit. The authorities agreed that debt would continue to drift upward in the absence of measures, and that weaker-than-expected global growth could have a negative impact on the domestic economy. The authorities emphasized their commitment to guarantee a smooth political transition by sharing information with the new administration and by inviting the Audit Office to oversee the handover process. It is recommended to improve the governance and anticorruption frameworks by increasing the fiscal transparency of the 2020 budget laws, strengthening audit and spending controls, and promptly implementing electronic invoicing.
May 22, 2019
Colombia: Review Under the Flexible Credit Line Arrangement-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: Colombia’s recovery is gaining momentum on the back of strong domestic demand, with a wider current account deficit. As a key external shock, migration flows from Venezuela accelerated in 2018 and by end-December 1.5 million migrants were estimated to live in Colombia. Risks to global growth and financial stability are tilted to the downside and have increased somewhat relative to the last FCL approval according to the April 2019 WEO and GFSR. Given the importance of oil exports and non-resident holdings of local-currency bonds, Colombia remains exposed to lower global growth, including indirectly through lower oil prices, and a sudden reversal in investor sentiment. Colombia weathered last year’s financial and oil market volatility well, however, as evidenced by stable spreads and local currency bond yields.
May 21, 2019
Jordan: Technical Assistance Report-Monetary and Financial Statistics Mission
Description: This Technical Assistance report on Jordan discusses that financial system of Jordan is dominated by other depository corporations (ODC), which constitute around 63 percent of the financial system’s assets. The technical assistance mission delivered objectives and agreed with the authorities on an action plan to improve the country’s monetary statistics. Some progress has been made in the Central Bank trial accounts regarding the sectorization and classification of the financial instruments. The Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) has made substantive progress in improving human resource skills among staff. The accounting principles are found to be broadly in line with the methodology of the IMF with some departures related to market valuation. The accounting and valuation methodology implemented by the ODCs in Jordan are broadly in line with the recommended compilation practices identified in the Monetary and Financial Statistics Manual and Compilation Guide. Considering the change in the source data since 2014, the mission re-mapped the source data, using data from the aggregated balance sheet of the banking sector and the accompanying schedules through a bridge table. The mission built a time series for all the required data and created a tool linking the data to the Standardized report forms. The tool provides CBJ staff with a simpler method for data compilation.
May 21, 2019
Sri Lanka: Technical Assistance Report-Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Sri Lankan Securities Market Enforcement Program
Description: This paper discusses the report of technical assistance mission to Sri Lanka. The report highlights that Sri Lanka has embarked on a program of reform intended to enable the country to emerge as an internationally competitive middle level economy. The mission concentrated on practical, operational steps that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could take to build capacity to increase the deterrent impact of its enforcement program in the current and anticipated regulatory environments. The mission recommended that the SEC continues to pursue measures to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability. In order to augment the impact of the enforcement program, the SEC is encouraged to foster public transparency to the extent possible without compromising confidential enforcement processes and activities. While the recommendations in this report will improve the effectiveness of the SEC’s enforcement program, credible deterrence cannot be achieved without the new civil and administrative enforcement authority in the draft Securities Exchange Act.
May 21, 2019
Bulgaria: Technical Assistance Report-Bank Supervision
Description: This Technical Assistance report on Bulgaria reviews the formalization and implementation of a comprehensive Supervisory and Review and Evaluation Process (SREP) that includes an explicit and detailed supervisory Pillar 2 capital requirement. The paper highlights that unsound banking practices or regulatory breaches cannot be compensated by complementary capital charges. Loan loss provisions and capital charges for loans created as a result of such practices cannot be created and judged on the basis of the common standards. Banking Supervision Department has developed a methodology for the combined risk assessment and subsequent definition of an additional capital requirement for credit risk. Individual outcomes of the top-down stress tests carried out by the Macroprudential Supervision and Financial Stability Directorate can make a valuable contribution to the SREP. It allows the assessment of the quality of internal control in the institution and its capacity to timely produce complete and reliable data. While capital positions globally are adequate, and soundness indicators have improved, partly as a result of the 2016 Asset Quality Review, nonperforming loans remain high in Bulgaria, with notable differences between the banks.
May 17, 2019
Samoa: 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Samoa
Description: This 2019 Article IV Consultation discusses that Samoa faces several economic challenges but continues to show resilience and a high level of engagement with IMF. Growth is expected to rebound after reaching a five-year low. Price pressures driven by temporary factors are receding and inflation is projected to return to below the authorities’ target of 3 percent. Samoa remains vulnerable to natural disasters and correspondent banking relationship (CBR) pressures. The authorities have made progress in implementing measures to mitigate these risks. Policies should focus on tightening fiscal policy to ensure sustainability while achieving progress towards development goals; mitigating risks from CBR pressures; improving the monetary policy transmission mechanism; and implementing structural reforms to boost potential growth and make it more inclusive. It is important to tighten fiscal policy compared to the baseline. The report also advises to introduce focused structural reforms on building resilience to natural disasters, enhancing the business environment, encouraging female labor participation, and improving the trade facilitation framework.
May 16, 2019
Sri Lanka: Fifth Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria, Extension of the Arrangement and Rephasing of Purchases-Press Release; Staff Report and Statement by the Executive Director for Sri Lanka
Description: This paper discusses Sri Lanka’s Fifth Review under the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria, extension of the arrangement, and rephasing of purchases. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka maintained a tight monetary policy stance, intervening in the foreign exchange market and allowing for greater exchange rate flexibility in response to rising pressures. The Sri Lankan economy remains vulnerable to shocks, given high public debt, large refinancing needs, and low external buffers. Although domestic uncertainty remains elevated, the authorities are committed to strengthen the resilience of the economy through a strong policy mix, with prudent monetary policy, greater exchange rate flexibility, and revenue-based fiscal consolidation. Continued implementation of structural reforms is essential to support strong and inclusive growth. Efforts should focus on liberalizing trade, improving the business environment and promoting investment, strengthening governance, encouraging female and youth labor force participation, enhancing social protection, and improving crisis preparedness to natural disasters.
May 16, 2019
Philippines: Technical Assistance Report-Public Investment Management Assessment
Description: This Technical Assistance report highlights institutional weaknesses that need to be addressed and proposes eight priority reform measures to strengthen the public investment management framework in the Philippines. This report reviews public investment management practices in the Philippines, using the IMF’s Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) methodology. The PIMA findings could guide the upcoming Public Expenditure Review that is likely to be completed with the support of the World Bank. The PIMA provides a broad overview of institutional strengths and weaknesses along the public investment cycle. Strengthening public investment management in the Philippines would help maximize the return from the infrastructure investment in the coming years. While the public investment management institutions in the Philippines are generally comparable to emerging market economies, there is scope to improve performance. Standard methodologies for maintenance planning and costing of infrastructure assets exist for certain types of assets, and the same practice should be extended to other sectors. It would also be beneficial to establish a central monitoring mechanism to ensure the routine maintenance of major infrastructure assets.