Download or read book IMF and the Baltics written by Mr.Richard D. Haas and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2003-12-01 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper is an economic history of the IMF’s involvement in the Baltic states. It describes and analyzes the initial economic stabilization; the period of consolidation and recovery; the effects of the Russian crisis of 1998; and the current growth phases of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. There is also an assessment of cooperation with the Fund based on interviews with a number of ex-officials. The major conclusion is that the Baltics have been so successful because of their early commitment to change the stabilization and reform policies needed for successful transition, and their ownership of their IMF-supported programs.
Download or read book IMF and the Baltics written by Mr. Adalbert Knöbl and published by INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. This book was released on 2003-12-01 with total page 27 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper is an economic history of the IMF’s involvement in the Baltic states. It describes and analyzes the initial economic stabilization; the period of consolidation and recovery; the effects of the Russian crisis of 1998; and the current growth phases of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. There is also an assessment of cooperation with the Fund based on interviews with a number of ex-officials. The major conclusion is that the Baltics have been so successful because of their early commitment to change the stabilization and reform policies needed for successful transition, and their ownership of their IMF-supported programs.
Download or read book The Baltic Countries written by Mr.Julian Berengaut and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1998-11-25 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are the three Baltic countries, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, ready for accession to the European Union? Have their economies overcome the problems of transition? The answers to these questions and their implications for policy are provided in this collection of analyses. Rather than a country-by-country description, the volume provides a cross-country perspective of developments from 1994 through mid-1997. The seven sections of this paper discuss recent macroeconomic and structural policies, exchange rate regimes, fiscal issues, financial systems, private sector development, and accession to the European Union.
Download or read book The Baltics written by Mr.Yuan Xiao and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2004-07-07 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Large current account deficits in Estonia and Latvia, and the continued real appreciation of the exchange rate in Lithuania, have prompted concerns about the competitiveness of the Baltic economies, and called into question the sustainability of their current fixed exchange rate arrangements. Recent external performance, however, appears to be explained more by temporary or cyclical developments than by a deterioration in the underlying competitive position of the Baltic economies. This book assesses the competitive position of the Baltic countries and focuses, in particular, on the viability of the countries’ strategy of maintaining their fixed exchange rates on joining the European Union, participating in its exchange rate mechanism, and then adopting the euro at the earliest possible date.
Download or read book The Baltic Countries written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2002-04-12 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten years after regaining independence, the Baltic Countries--Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--are expected to be invited to join the European Union (EU) and NATO in 2004. This paper provides a macroeconomic perspective on the Baltics' remarkable economic success to date and of the fiscal challenges that the Baltics face in joining the EU and NATO. The authors offer guidance in this regard by deriving some principles on the appropriate medium-term fiscal stance for the Baltics based on theory and empirical evidence. They examine the experience of countries that acceded to the EU earlier-Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain-and develop three medium-term analytical frameworks to illustrate the fiscal tensions and trade-offs. Their primary advice supports the Baltic authorities' decision to maintain prudent fiscal policy by balancing their budgets over the economic cycle. Curtailing nonpriority spending may be politically difficult, but the Baltic countries are well placed to meet such challenges, and the benefits-more efficient public spending, enhanced growth prospects, and accelerated real convergence with the EU-make this effort worthwhile.
Download or read book The Baltics written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2002-01-24 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper on the Baltic countries analyzes medium-term fiscal issues related to European Union (EU) and NATO accession. The paper supports the Baltic authorities’ intention to aim at balancing their budgets over the economic cycle. The paper describes the Baltics’ current fiscal position and structure. It reviews theory and empirical evidence of the possible macroeconomic benefits of fiscal adjustment. It also reviews the experience of earlier EU accession countries prior to and after their accession. The medium-term fiscal frameworks are also presented.
Download or read book The Baltic Countries written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2002-04-12 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten years after regaining independence, the Baltic Countries--Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--are expected to be invited to join the European Union (EU) and NATO in 2004. This paper provides a macroeconomic perspective on the Baltics' remarkable economic success to date and of the fiscal challenges that the Baltics face in joining the EU and NATO. The authors offer guidance in this regard by deriving some principles on the appropriate medium-term fiscal stance for the Baltics based on theory and empirical evidence. They examine the experience of countries that acceded to the EU earlier-Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain-and develop three medium-term analytical frameworks to illustrate the fiscal tensions and trade-offs. Their primary advice supports the Baltic authorities' decision to maintain prudent fiscal policy by balancing their budgets over the economic cycle. Curtailing nonpriority spending may be politically difficult, but the Baltic countries are well placed to meet such challenges, and the benefits-more efficient public spending, enhanced growth prospects, and accelerated real convergence with the EU-make this effort worthwhile.
Download or read book Progress Towards External Adjustment in the Euro Area Periphery and the Baltics written by Mr.Joong S Kang and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-07-22 with total page 31 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The euro area periphery countries and the Baltic countries, which had large current account deficits in the run-up to the crisis, needed adjustment of relative prices to achieve both internal and external balances. Thus far, tangible progress has been made through lower wages and/or higher productivity relative to trading partners (“internal devaluation”), which contributed to narrowing current account deficits and shifting output towards the tradables sector. While some early adjusters cut wages more rapidly followed by productivity improvement, others have only slowly improved productivity largely through labor shedding. This adjustment for most countries has come along with a substantial recession as the unit labor cost improvement has largely come from falling employment and much of the current account improvement from import compression. Going forward, these countries still need to generate growing tradables sector employment and to continue adjustment to prevent imbalances from returning as output gaps close.
Download or read book Improving Governance and Fighting Corruption in the Baltic and CIS Countries written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2005-03-30 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on recent examples of corruption in the Baltics and former Soviet Union, this pamphlet analyzes the links between governance and corruption, and emphasizes the high economic cost that corruption exacts. The pamphlet outlines how the IMF is working with the countries of the former Soviet Union to curb corruption, and put in place the regulatory and legal changes needed to support good government.
Download or read book The Evolution of Current Account Deficits in the Euro Area Periphery and the Baltics written by Mr.Joong Kang and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-07-17 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explanations of the large current account deficits for the euro area periphery and the Baltics in the run up to the crisis revolve around two main factors: deteriorating export performance or demand driven booms. We add that there were important movements in transfers and net income balances. While export performance remained relatively stable in most countries, for some countries, when transfers declined, households and firms borrowed so as to maintain the same level of spending. This was part of a persistent failure to adjust to trade deficits, which, along with rising net income payments, led to growing current account deficits. All of these factors played varying roles in the development of current account deficits across these countries.
Download or read book Adjustment Under a Currency Peg written by MissCatriona Purfield and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paper traces the Baltics’ adjustment strategy during the 2008-09 global financial crisis. The abrupt end to the externally-financed domestic demand boom triggered a severe output collapse, bringing per capita income levels back to 2005/06 levels. In response to this shock, the Baltics undertook an internal devaluation that relied on unprecedented fiscal and nominal wage adjustment, steps to preserve financial sector stability as well as complementary efforts to facilitate voluntary private debt restructuring. One-and-half years on, the strategy is making good progress but not yet complete. Confidence in the exchange rate was maintained, the banking system was supported by its parent banks, external imbalances and inflation have largely disappeared, competitiveness is improving, and fiscal deficits are gradually being brought back towards pre-crisis levels. However, amid record levels of unemployment, further reforms are needed to foster a return to more balanced growth, fiscal sustainability, and a healthier banking system.
Download or read book Competitiveness in the Baltics in the Run Up to EU Accession written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2003-04-28 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper analyzes competitiveness in the Baltics in the run-up to European Union accession. Several factors appear to have driven movements in equilibrium real exchange rates in the Baltics since the start of the transition process. In the earlier years of transition, price liberalization, increased demand for services and other nontradables, and shifts in domestic production and exports toward higher valued-added products contributed to real appreciation through higher measured inflation. The strength of the real appreciation during these years appears to also reflect the correction of an initial undervaluation of exchange rates.
Download or read book Baltic Cluster Report written by International Monetary Fund. European Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-05-08 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Selected Issues paper focuses on the Baltic model, Baltic–Nordic links, and convergence. The Baltic countries form a distinct group within a tightly integrated Nordic–Baltic region. They are following similar approaches to economic policy, broadly in line with those of Northern European and the Anglo-Saxon countries. Their macroeconomic policies are generally robust. The paper examines the possible causes of the creditless recoveries in the Baltic countries. It characterizes their experience in comparison with other episodes of creditless recoveries in both advanced and emerging market economies, and also investigates demand and supply constraints to credit expansion in the Baltics.
Download or read book Financial Sector Reform and Banking Crises in the Baltic Countries written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1996-12-01 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Financial sector reform in the Baltic countries is reviewed in light of the banking crises that emerged during the reform period. It is argued that the crises had their roots in the structural deficiencies specific to planned economies and the financial environment that developed before and after these countries regained their independence, thus rendering them largely inevitable. Because of the low level of financial intermediation, however, even the failure of large banks had limited systemic effects and a minor negative impact on output and incomes. The crises slowed down the financial reform process, but brought about a desired consolidation of the banking sector.
Download or read book Baltic and Icelandic Experiences of Capital Flows and Capital Flow Measures written by Mr.Audun Groenn and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-12-16 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The aim of this empirical study is to describe and provide analysis on the experience of managing capital flows in Iceland and the Baltic countries. During the build-up of the crisis, there were shortcomings in macroeconomic policies and in the policy mix, as well as in financial supervision in the countries covered. While the use of traditional macroeconomic and structural policies was far from exhausted, recognizing that there are no substitutes for sound macroeconomic policies, with an IMF framework on capital flows in place prior to the crisis, it might have been easier for the IMF and national policymakers to identify accelerating problems at an early stage and address them with targeted measures.
Download or read book Unemployment and Structural Unemployment in the Baltics written by Mr.Christian Ebeke and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-08-19 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the unemployment rate in the Baltics has fallen sharply from its crisis-peaks, it remains close to double digits. This paper estimates the structural component of the jobless rate in the three Baltic countries and analyzes its causes. Our main findings are that the current still elevated levels of unemployment mostly reflect structural factors. We then turn to why structural unemployment is so high. This paper points to skill mismatches, high tax wedges, and unemployment and inactivity traps as potential causes.
Download or read book Macroeconomic Developments in the Baltics Russia and Other Countries of the Former Soviet Union 1992 97 written by Mr.Luis Valdivieso and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 1999-01-06 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper discusses the significant overall progress with macro stabilization of these transition countries during 1992-1997. While average inflation declined steadily since 1992, output fell significantly for many of these countries during this period, and it was not unti 1996-97 that as a group they experienced positive growth, financial policies, the current account, competitiveness, debt-and non-debt-creating capital flows, and the initial impact of the Asian crisis.
