International Monetary Fund imprint: 1365 books

More than a decade after the start of the transition process, unemployment rates remain in the double digits in a number of Central and Eastern European countries. That unemployment rates have failed to decline, even in countries experiencing good growth, is puzzling. In this paper the authors examine...

This volume reviews the experience of 25 non-Asian transition economies 10 years into their transformation to market economies. The volume is based on an IMF conference held in February 1999 in Washington, D.C., to take stock of the achievements and the challenges of transition in the context of three...

With the steady increase of crude oil production and the surge in oil prices in the mid- and late 1970s, Oman embarked upon an economic development path that transformed it into a prosperous country. Today Oman boasts impressive physical infrastructure, much improved socioeconomic conditions, and...

This paper charts Tunisia's transformation from an inward-looking, heavily regulated economy into a predominantly market- and export-oriented one. The paper highlights some of the major challenges facing the country and draws lessons from Tunisia's experience that can be useful for other countries.

This book, edited by Jacob A. Frenkel, Michael P. Dooley, and Peter Wickham, presents a sample of the work of the IMF and that of world-renowned scholars on the analytical issues surrounding the explosion of countries with debt-servicing difficulties and describes debt initiatives and debt-reduction...

Assessments of exchange rate misalignments and external imbalances for low-income countries are challenging because methodologies developed for advanced and emerging economies cannot be automatically applied to poorer nations. This paper uses a large database, unique in the set of indicators and number...

This Manual, addressed mainly to new staff members in the area and functional departments of the IMF, presents different ways to tackle specific problems that desk economists encounter in analyzing country data. This guide presents an approach to analyzing financial developments in a country and to evaluating the quality of data at the disposal of the staff.

One of the most complex issues in tax policy today is the treatment of the institutions, products, and services that make up the financial sector. It can be harder to ascertain income, expenses, and profits for financial firms than for firms selling goods and services, and it is easier for individuals...

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the attractions and disadvantages of currency board arrangements in their various institutional configurations. It asks what defines a currency board arrangement, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and what constraints they place on macroeconomic policies. It also reviews country experiences with these arrangements.

This seminar volume, edited by Said El-Naggar, examines the challenge that Arab countries with large public sectors face in placing the privatization process within the wider context of structural change.

This volume, edited by Said El-Naggar, examines the impact of macro- and microeconomic policies on the investment climate in the Arab countries, the efficiency of public investment, and the role of foreign direct investment.

More than 50 countries worldwide employ a value-added tax. What are its effects on prices, exports, and investment? Is it regressive? These and other questions are answered in this collection of papers presented at a March 1990 Jakarta seminar on the VAT in Asia.

The case study of Hungary clarifies the specific macroeconomic policy requirements of countries in transition from centrally planned to market economies. The study, edited by Karen A. Swiderski, covers the period through 1990 and provides material needed to develop consistent projections of macroeconomic developments in Hungary.