What's New Archive
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2023 Article IV Consultation with Mongolia
October 4 , 2023
Growth rebounded to 5.0 percent in 2022 and the external position stabilized as a result of China’s reopening, the government’s determined efforts to boost exports, and private sector financing inflows. After peaking in mid-2022, headline inflation gradually declined to 10.6 percent in June 2023 largely reflecting falling global prices. Core inflation also started to moderate. In light of the improving economic situation, a supplementary budget for 2023, passed in June 2023, introduced large and permanent increases in wages, benefits, and pensions. Strong mining sector activity and the fiscal expansion are expected to help sustain robust growth in 2023.
Labor Market Exposure to AI: Cross-country Differences and Distributional Implications
October 4 , 2023
Working Paper No. 2023/216
Romania: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2023 Article IV Mission
October 4 , 2023
Romania has weathered the economic shocks from the pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the resulting surges in energy and food prices relatively well. The country has continued its convergence to higher incomes of EU peers. The main policy challenge is to put the public finances on a sustainable path.
Mining the Gap: Extracting Firms’ Inflation Expectations From Earnings Calls
October 4 , 2023
Working Paper No. 2023/202
IMF Reaches Staff Level Agreement with Côte d’Ivoire on the First Review of the ECF/EFF Arrangement
October 4 , 2023
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Mr. Olaf Unteroberdoerster, visited Abidjan during September 19 - October 3 to discuss progress under the authorities’ economic program supported by an EFF/ECF arrangement in the amount of SDR 2.6 billion (about US$ 3.5 billion), and approved by the IMF Executive Board on May 24, 2023 (IMF Executive Board Approves US $3.5 billion Extended Fund Facility and Extended Credit Facility for Côte d’Ivoire) .
Making Public Debt Public—Ongoing Initiatives and Reform Options—Background Paper
October 3 , 2023
Policy Paper No. 2023/038
MCM Capacity Development Annual Report 2023
Maldives: Technical Assistance Report-Financial Soundness Indicators Mission
October 3 , 2023
Country Report No. 2023/345
Burkina Faso: Request for a Four-Year Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Burkina Faso
October 3 , 2023
Country Report No. 2023/343
IMF Releases the 2023 Financial Access Survey Results
October 3 , 2023
The International Monetary Fund released the results of its fourteenth annual Financial Access Survey (FAS), highlighting the resilience of financial access during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic years. Data from 2022 indicate a sustained level of financial inclusion, bolstered by the rise in digital financial services. Notably, microfinance institutions played a pivotal role in responding to the financial needs of the most vulnerable segments of society. However, the FAS data also point to a concerning dip in the outstanding value of commercial bank loans extended to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) relative to GDP, indicating that their ability to access bank financing may be more constrained and/or demand for credit might have weakened due to tighter financing conditions. Additionally, a persistent gender gap in financial access remains a pressing concern.
Mexico: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2023 Article IV Mission
October 3 , 2023
The Mexican economy is in the midst of a broad-based expansion. Growth is expected to be 3.2 percent in 2023, led by robust private consumption and investment, with notable strength in service sectors, construction, and auto production. This has led to record-low unemployment rates and record-high manufacturing capacity utilization rates. The authorities have commendably kept public debt in check. Monetary policy is rightly focused on bringing down inflation.
Geoeconomic Fragmentation and Commodity Markets
October 3 , 2023
Working Paper No. 2023/201
IMF Staff Completes 2023 Article IV Mission to the Philippines
October 3 , 2023
“The Philippines economy has emerged from the pandemic strongly but has since confronted a confluence of global shocks. Growth moderated from 7.6 percent in 2022 to 4.3 percent in the second quarter of 2023, largely due to a weak global economy and tightened policy settings. Having bottomed out at the end of the second quarter, growth is projected to bounce back by year-end to 5.3 percent in 2023 and reach 6.0 percent in 2024, supported by an acceleration in public spending and improved external demand for Philippines exports. The main downside risks to the outlook include persistently high global and domestic inflation that could necessitate a further tightening of monetary policy, an abrupt global slowdown putting downward pressure on goods and services exports, an intensification in geo-political tensions, and depreciation pressures stemming from capital outflows under volatile market conditions. On the other hand, a more resilient US economy and a rebound in domestic demand supported by an easing of financial conditions provide upside risks.
IMF Staff Reach Staff-Level Agreement on Third Review of the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement with Guinea Bissau
October 3 , 2023
“The mission team reached staff-level agreement with the authorities on economic and financial policies that could support the approval of the Third Review of the ECF program. This agreement is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, which is tentatively scheduled for [mid-November] 2023. The authorities are seeking an augmentation of access under the ECF program from 100 to 140 percent of quota. Upon completion of the Executive Board review, Guinea Bissau would have additional access to SDR [6.16] million (around US$ [8.1] million), bringing total disbursement under the arrangement to SDR [13.27] million (about US$ [17.4] million).
IMF Staff and the Seychellois Authorities Reach Staff-Level Agreement on the First Review Under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)
October 3 , 2023
“The Seychellois economy continues to recover in 2023. Real GDP growth is projected at 3.8 percent in 2023, based largely on a continued increase in tourist arrivals. This outlook is subject to continued risks given the challenging international environment and uncertainty around tourist arrivals and average spending. Year-on-year inflation was negative (-2.4 percent) as of August, reflecting the impact of lower international commodity prices on food inflation as well as moderating prices for housing and utilities.
Cayman Islands: Technical Assistance Report-Improving Estimates of Gross Domestic Product
October 2 , 2023
Country Report No. 2023/342
IMF Staff Completes 2023 Article IV Mission to Namibia
October 2 , 2023
"Driven by mining, Namibia’s real GDP grew 4.6 percent in 2022. Growth of 3.2 percent in 2023 is expected to bring output back above the pre-pandemic level. "
Sri Lanka: Technical Assistance Report-Governance Diagnostic Assessment
September 30, 2023
Country Report No. 2023/340
Assessing Macrofinancial Risks from Crypto Assets
September 29, 2023
Working Paper No. 2023/214
Monetary Policy and Labor Market Gender Gaps
September 29, 2023
Working Paper No. 2023/211