IMF Staff Country Reports

Belgium: 2008 Article IV Consultation: Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion

March 27, 2008

Preview Citation

Format: Chicago

International Monetary Fund. "Belgium: 2008 Article IV Consultation: Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion", IMF Staff Country Reports 2008, 111 (2008), accessed 12/31/2025, https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451803280.002

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Summary

Although economic performance has remained good, difficulties in building consensus for institutional reform have caused an ill-affordable hiatus in economic policymaking. Robust economic activity absorbed a growing labor force and allowed the unemployment rate to decline continuously. Low-income groups are being disproportionately affected by the food and energy price increases, triggering a necessary increase in targeted income support. The authorities agreed that various indicators suggest that the current level of the real effective exchange rate is broadly appropriate.

Subject: Expenditure, Fiscal consolidation, Fiscal policy, Fiscal stance, Income, National accounts, Public debt

Keywords: Belgium, budget proposal, CR, credit default swap spread, Europe, expenditure side, Fiscal consolidation, Fiscal stance, Global, government, headline inflation, Income, ISCR, railway company debt transfer, rate, structural adjustment