{
  "title": "Belgium: 2005 Article IV Consultation Staff Report; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion",
  "publication": "IMF Staff Country Reports, March 1, 2006",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/staff-report-for-the-2005-article-iv-consultation-18955",
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  "summary": "This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that Belgium’s growth has picked up following weakness in early 2005, mainly reflecting a negative contribution from the external sector and weak household consumption owing to high energy prices.",
  "publishDate": "2006-03-01",
  "series": "IMF Staff Country Reports",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Growth outlook and recent developments",
      "content": "- Growth picked up following weakness in early 2005.\n- Weakness in early 2005 mainly reflected a negative contribution from the external sector and weak household consumption owing to high energy prices.\n- The authorities and the IMF staff project GDP growth to strengthen into 2006 to somewhat more than 2 percent."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Demand composition and sectoral outlook",
      "content": "- Private consumption\n  - Projected to pick up in response to tax cuts.\n- External sector\n  - Provided a negative contribution to growth in early 2005.\n  - Improvement in demand from trading partners is a driver of the projected strengthening into 2006.\n- Residential construction\n  - Likely to remain resilient.\n  - Housing price growth is likely to slow."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key themes and policy-relevant topics covered",
      "content": "- Expenditure\n- Labor\n- Public debt\n- Taxes\n- Related keywords noted in the source: budget surplus, CR, GDP, Global, house price growth, housing price development, IMF staff projection, ISCR, Labor costs, labor market rigidity, rate, Social security contributions, staff project GDP growth, tax, Wages\n\nBelgium: 2005 Article IV Consultation Staff Report; and Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- cr0674\n  - cr0674 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - cr0674 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/staff-report-for-the-2005-article-iv-consultation-18955"
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    "Published: March 1, 2006",
    "Series: IMF Staff Country Reports",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781451803235.002",
    "Growth picked up following weakness in early 2005.",
    "Weakness in early 2005 mainly reflected a negative contribution from the external sector and weak household consumption owing to high energy prices.",
    "The authorities and the IMF staff project GDP growth to strengthen into 2006 to somewhat more than 2 percent.",
    "Private consumption",
    "External sector",
    "Residential construction",
    "Expenditure",
    "Labor",
    "Public debt",
    "Taxes",
    "Related keywords noted in the source: budget surplus, CR, GDP, Global, house price growth, housing price development, IMF staff projection, ISCR, Labor costs, labor market rigidity, rate, Social security contributions, staff project GDP growth, tax, Wages",
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