Country Reports
2022
June 7, 2022
Suriname: Technical Assistance Report on Government Finance Statistics Mission (December 6-17, 2021)
Description: At the request of the Suriname authorities, a remote technical assistance (TA) mission took place during December 6–17, 2021. The mission was conducted in coordination with the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department. The main objective of the mission was to assist the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MFP) and the Central Bank of Suriname (CBS) to improve the quality of the Government Finance Statistics (GFS) in view of the IMF program. The main tasks were to (i) conduct a diagnostic assessment of the current GFS and public debt compilation process,(ii) explain and reduce statistical discrepancies, (iii) analyze data on arrears and reassess their treatment in GFS, (iv) review the integration of stocks and flows of the gross debt; and (v) update the public sector institutional table, and (vi) deliver a workshop on GFSM 2014 framework and (PSDS).
June 7, 2022
Peru: Request for an Arrangement Under the Flexible Credit Line and Cancellation of the Current Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Peru
Description: Over the last quarter of a century, Peru has become one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America. During this period, Peru built very strong policy and institutional frameworks and economic fundamentals while maintaining external, financial, and fiscal stability. The strength of the Peruvian economy was tested with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the economy collapsed, leading to a significant deterioration of the fiscal accounts. Subsequently, the economy recovered strongly in 2021, and the fiscal position strengthened considerably, while inflationary pressures emerged (in line with global trends). However, Peru is bearing a very high humanitarian and economic cost from the COVID-19 pandemic, sizable under-employment, and a large increase in poverty. These challenges and recent social unrest related to high energy and food prices point to the need to accelerate structural reforms to foster high and inclusive growth. While political uncertainty has risen, with frequent cabinet reshufflings, the authorities remain committed to maintaining their very strong policy frameworks and prudent macroeconomic policies.
June 7, 2022
Guatemala: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Informational Annex
Description: The remarkable resilience of the economy during the pandemic, driven by policy support, favorable credit conditions and a favorable external environment, has almost returned the level of GDP to its pre-pandemic projected trend. Reflecting the prevalence of domestic factors, headline inflation eased to 3 percent (the lower limit of the inflation target band) at end-2021. For 2022, growth is expected to moderate while inflation is expected to rise in line with global inflationary pressures. Despite the resilience, social indicators such as poverty and malnutrition remain high. The outlook is very uncertain with significant downside risks, mostly external, including from the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and the tightening of global financial conditions in response to global inflationary pressures.
June 7, 2022
Kingdom of Lesotho: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Kingdom of Lesotho
Description: Lesotho has been simultaneously hit by the pandemic, declining transfers from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), and the impact of the war in Ukraine. The pandemic exacerbated the impact of sluggish regional performance, climate shocks, and longstanding structural issues such as regulation, governance, political stability, financial inclusion, and diversification. Public expenditure has continued to increase, such that the decline in external transfers precipitated significant financing pressures and growing domestic arrears. With limited inflows to the private sector, the resulting public sector-driven external imbalances have continued to put pressure on international reserves needed to maintain the exchange rate peg.
June 7, 2022
Philippines: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Bank Stress Test for Climate Change Risks
Description: The Philippines is highly vulnerable to risks from climate change. The Philippines is categorized as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change and natural disasters, especially typhoons. Depending on where a severe typhoon hits the Philippines, it could potentially cause a systemic impact. All major cities and most of the population reside on the coastline, including the metropolitan Manila area where about 60 percent of economic activities take place. On the other hand, exposures to transition risk are concentrated in the coal-based power generation sector and the government’s licensing policy to build new power plants.
June 7, 2022
Philippines: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Macroprudential Policy Framework and Tools
Description: The Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas (BSP), together with the other financial sector regulators and the Department of Finance (DoF), made significant progress in developing a framework for macroprudential supervision. The BSP plays a central role as the bank and payment system supervisor, as well as macroprudential authority with with its financial stability mandate obtained in 2019, and the chair of inter-agency coordination mechanisms (Financial Stability Coordination Council, FSCC). The FSCC was established in 2011 as a voluntary interagency body (without decision-making powers) to coordinate macroprudential policies and crisis management and include the BSP, Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Insurance Commission (IC), Philippine Deposit Insurance Commission (PDIC) and the DoF. Within the BSP, a financial stability “unit” (OSRM, established in 2017) works on macroprudential analysis and policy preparation. BSP’s Financial Stability Policy Committee (FSPC), a Monetary Board (MB) subcommittee established in 2020, decides on macroprudential issues, while policy decision making on monetary policy and financial sector supervision takes place in the MB.
June 7, 2022
Philippines: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Risk Assessment of Banks, Non-Financial Corporates, and Macro-Financial Linkages
Description: The Philippines is a dynamic economy with a relatively smaller financial system than other Asian emerging market economies, dominated by banks. The total assets of the system amount to 126 percent of GDP. However, bank credit is just over 50 percent of GDP and mostly goes to nonfinancial corporates (NFCs). Banks are also tightly interlinked with NFCs through conglomerate ownerships. Access to finance for individuals is significantly lower than comparator systems, with only a third of adults having formal accounts. Non-bank financial institutions and capital markets—especially bond markets—are substantially less developed than banks. The Fintech ecosystem is nascent.
June 3, 2022
Colombia: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Technical Note on Macroprudential Framework Policy and Tools
Description: There has been little change in the institutional framework for macroprudential policy oversight since the last FSAP. Macroprudential policy for the banking sector is a shared competency of the Financial Superintendency of Colombia (SFC), the Banco de la República (BR), and the Ministry of Finance (MHCP), although the SFC and the MHCP play dominant roles. The Financial Sector Coordination and Monitoring Committee (CCSSF), which consists of the three institutions and the Financial Institutions Guarantee Fund (Fogafin), is the main platform for information sharing and cooperation, but it does not have a macroprudential mandate or any formal powers. The SFC supervises asset managers and insurance companies, but there is no formal macroprudential oversight framework for those types of financial institutions.