Country Reports
2023
August 4, 2023
Guatemala: Technical Assistance Report-Fiscal Transparency Evaluation
Description: [This report is only available in Spanish] This report provides an updated assessment of fiscal transparency practices in Guatemala, aligning with the Fiscal Transparency Code (FTC) established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 2016, Guatemala underwent an evaluation, which revealed that it had 4 practices rated as advanced, 4 as good, 17 as basic, and 10 practices fell below the basic level, with the practice concerning public-private partnerships not being rated. In the current evaluation, Guatemala demonstrates significant progress in fiscal transparency. The number of practices rated as basic or below has decreased to 17, while practices rated as good and advanced have increased to 19. Comparing with other Latin American countries and emerging market economies that have undergone the same evaluation, Guatemala's scores are similar. Presently, Guatemala has 7 practices at the advanced level, 12 at the good level, 11 at the basic level, and does not meet the minimum requirements of the CTF in 6 practices. The strongest areas of fiscal transparency practices lie in Pillar I, "Fiscal Reporting," and Pillar III, "Fiscal Risks." However, in Pillar II, "Fiscal Budgets and Forecasts," the scores are comparatively lower.
August 1, 2023
Rwanda: Technical Assistance Report-Public Investment Management Assessment–PIMA and Climate PIMA
Description: This Technical Report discusses the results of the Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA), including the Climate module, for Rwanda, undertaken in 2022. The Rwandan government has placed significant emphasis on public investment to support the country’s economic transformation, and investment has accelerated in recent years. The country performs well in the design and effectiveness of its public investment management institutions, in planning and coordination, but has mixed results in allocation and implementation, as evidenced by the stalling and abandonment of some projects. Infrastructure development is also a crucial component of the country's climate change adaptation strategy. Rwanda's Nationally Determined Contribution outlines measures to address climate change, with an estimated cost of over USD 5.3 billion (55 percent of GDP) by 2030. Rwanda already performs strongly in climate change-aware planning, with a well-designed and effective system for integrating climate change considerations in national and sectoral planning processes. However, there is room to enhance project appraisal and selection processes by incorporating climate change mitigation and adaptation criteria. Many important documents and data remain unpublished, such as the Fiscal Risk Review, project costs, and selection criteria, reducing accountability and scrutiny.
July 31, 2023
Brazil: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Brazil
Description: After a rapid recovery from the pandemic, economic activity is converging towards potential levels. Headline inflation has rapidly declined from last year’s peak, but core inflation remains elevated, and inflation expectations are above target. To address cost-of-living concerns, the new government expanded the 2023 budget envelope, while identifying measures to recover tax revenues. The authorities are also embarking on an ambitious agenda to steer a sustainable, inclusive, and green economy.
July 31, 2023
Malawi: First Review Under the Staff-Monitored Program with Executive Board Involvement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Malawi
Description: Malawi has been affected by a series of shocks— including an outbreak of cholera and Cyclone Freddy, which caused significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure—since the approval of the Staff-Monitored Program with Executive Board Involvement (PMB) on November 11, 2022, and the disbursement of $88.3 million in emergency financing under the Food Shock Window of the Rapid Credit Facility on November 21, 2022. In this context, growth has been weaker and inflation higher than expected. The fiscal deficit in FY2022/23 (April/March) was larger than expected at the time of the PMB. Meanwhile, external strains—including shortage of foreign exchange, difficulties securing trade credit, and a widening spread between official and bureau exchange rates—have heightened. Despite a sharp reduction in the current account deficit, accumulation of foreign exchange reserves has been slower than expected, implying an increase in informal trade.
July 31, 2023
Somalia: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-Joint Staff Advisory Note
Description: This Joint Staff Advisory Note (JSAN) reviews the first Annual Progress Report (APR) on Somalia’s Ninth National Development Plan (NDP9).1 NDP9 is a nationally owned and comprehensive strategy for poverty reduction and inclusive growth. It covers 2020–2024 and is organized around the four pillars: Inclusive Politics, Security and the Rule of Law, Economic Development and Social Development . NDP9 was submitted to the IMF and World Bank on October 15, 2019, to fulfill the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative’s poverty reduction strategy requirement. The first Annual Progress Report (APR) was received by the World Bank and the IMF in June 2022. It describes the progress of the Federal Government of Somali (FGS) in implementing the first year of the NDP9, i.e., in 2020. The government is in the process of preparing the midterm review of NDP9, which will serve as APR for 2021 and 2022.
July 28, 2023
Kingdom of the Netherlands-Curaçao and Sint Maarten: 2023 Article IV Consultation Discussions-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which form a monetary union (Union), are recovering from the pandemic and earlier shocks. Substantial tourism recoveries in both economies supported robust growth and strong fiscal adjustments. Curaçao’s GDP is still below its pre-pandemic level while Sint Maarten is expected to exceed it this year. Both countries are working on structural reform packages, although the focus is still mainly on studies and preparation.
July 28, 2023
Iceland: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism
Description: Iceland’s banking sector is comparatively small, and the geographical reach of cross-border payments activity is limited. This limited payments’ activity is also well explained by the economic fundamentals (e.g., foreign trade, direct investments) which reduces the overall inherent money laundering (ML) risk exposure.1 In addition, Iceland has minimal flows with countries at high ML risks (as identified by authorities), low levels of outlier cross-border payments, and low levels of financial flows insufficiently explained by the economic fundamentals.
July 28, 2023
Republic of Estonia: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: Estonia has made remarkable progress over the past two decades, achieving steady convergence towards more advanced EU economies. However, signs of erosion in external performance have emerged in recent years, reflecting rapid growth in unit labor cost and real exchange rate appreciation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a large rise in inflation, supply chain disruptions and slower growth in key trading partners in the Baltic region. In Estonia, these developments, combined with fiscal tightening in 2022, have led to a sharp economic downturn, while deceleration in productivity has exacerbated competitiveness erosion.
July 28, 2023
Iceland: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Cyber and Operational Resilience, Supervision and Oversight
Description: The Icelandic financial system is large, concentrated and interconnected - banks and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs) - domestically and internationally. There are 10 banks: 4 commercial banks and 6 savings banks, but the system is dominated by just three of the commercial banks (Arion banki, Íslandsbanki and Landsbankinn) that together account for 95 percent of banking assets. Cash use is declining as a percentage of point of sale (POS) transactions, leading to an increasing dependence on electronic payment means. The debit and credit cards used for most retail transactions rely on international communications with Visa and Mastercard.