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Western Hemisphere > Belize

You are looking at 1 - 9 of 9 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • Public financial management (PFM) x
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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Technical Assistance Report-Transition to Accrual Accounting
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This technical assistance report on Belize focuses on transition to accrual accounting. Belize is planning to transition to accrual accounting over the medium term. This reform is considered an advanced practice on the public financial management (PFM) spectrum and has been attempted by few regional comparators. The transition to accruals is a complex, resource-intensive and advanced reform that requires various preconditions to be met. The current organization and responsibilities of Treasury staff do not support the transition to accruals. Accounting reforms will take time to implement and require change management processes if they are to succeed. The Treasury does not currently have a change management culture to manage reforms and track performance. A new unit should be created to oversee change management, strategic planning, performance management, risk management as well as monitoring and evaluation. A PFM coordinating committee, chaired by the Financial Secretary, should be established to strengthen planning and internal collaboration.
Keywords:
IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department; authorities of Belize; government ministry; cash basis; accounts receivable; government accounting Manual; Fiscal accounting and reporting; Financial statements; Accounting standards; Chart of accounts
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on Belize in 2020, leading to a 16.7 percent contraction in real GDP and a rise in public debt to an unsustainable level of 133 percent of GDP. To address this situation, the government presented a medium-term plan to lower public debt to 85 percent of GDP in 2025 and 70 percent in 2030 by implementing fiscal consolidation, structural reforms, and debt restructuring. Significant progress towards restoring debt sustainability was made in 2021.
Keywords:
expenditure measure; PFM legislation; policy priority; calendar year GDP; central bank of Belize; Policy discussion; IMF team; Fiscal consolidation; Fiscal stance; Global; Caribbean
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Technical Assistance Report—Cybersecurity, Regulation, Supervision, and Resilience
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
Cybersecurity risk is embedded in the CBB’s supervisory framework, but additional enhancements are needed to formalize guidance and develop more intensive supervisory practices. Supervisory expectations on cybersecurity are presented in an informal guidance note, which should be formalized into regulation to ensure enforceability; and an IT/cybersecurity supervisory manual should be developed to promote effective and consistent practices. With its principle-based guidance note, the CBB highlights its priorities in strengthening the cybersecurity posture of Belizean financial institutions. The principles are an appropriate interpretation of international best practices on incident prevention, detection, response, and recovery measures, adapted to the cyber maturity of the Belizean financial institutions, and can be used as a foundation for the formalized guidelines. The manual could emphasize the review of cybersecurity strategies, policies, and responsibility specifications and should address obtaining assurance on the effectiveness of the financial institutions’ processes for cyber risk identification, assessment, and mitigation.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; risk management; self-assessment guidance; cybersecurity governance; cybersecurity process; efficiency gain; cybersecurity resilience; cybersecurity regulation; incident reporting; guidance note; control environment; cybersecurity posture; incident management; cybersecurity innovation; cybersecurity guidance note; cybersecurity guideline; Cyber risk; Central bank bills; Operational risk; Internal audit; Securities; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Technical Assistance Report-Public Investment Management Assessment
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
The level of public investment in Belize has varied over the past years in the context of existing constraints. The sharp increase in public debt has limited available fiscal space.1 This has resulted in an increase in externally financed investments as a share of the capital budget and a growing interest in public private partnerships (PPPs) to help achieve the government of Belize’s national strategy objectives.2 However, the correlation between Belize’s public investment and GDP growth remains weak, and the public capital stock as a ratio to GDP shows a sharp deterioration, possibly pointing to investment inefficiencies.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; investment project; management process; cash flow; Project implementation; budget preparation document; investment plan; investment portfolio; investment priority; budget document; public investment; fiscal year; Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP); Public investment spending; Budget planning and preparation; Capital spending; Capital budget; Central America
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Staff Report for the 2013 Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This IMF staff report on Belize’s 2013 Article IV Consultation highlights economic developments and macroeconomic outlook. Macroeconomic developments in 2012 were underpinned by robust output growth but clouded by uncertainties surrounding the debt restructuring and growth prospects of major trading partners. New provisioning, and loan classification standards implemented by the central bank at end-2011 have resulted in declining nonperforming loans (NPLs) in the banking system and improving provisioning. NPLs remain high at 20 percent of total loans at end-2012, with heavy concentration in one domestic and some international banks. In compliance with the new prudential measures, banks have been required to write off bad loans within 3–5 years.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; resolution framework; restructuring; staff visit; central bank credibility; loan; oil export; IMF special; debt management task force; commodity price pressure; Government debt management; Debt management; Public sector; Caribbean; Global; Europe; Central America
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Staff Report for the 2011 Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund
The 2011 Article IV Consultation report concludes that Belize has weathered the financial crisis relatively well when compared with Caribbean Community peers. Executive Directors have commended the authorities for their macroeconomic management, which enabled Belize to weather the financial crisis. Although the near-term outlook is positive, challenges arise from the uncertain global environment, rising gross financing needs of the public sector, and the weak investment climate. Directors have emphasized the need to tighten further the fiscal stance and rebuild macroeconomic buffers.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; current account; financing; Belize; GDP; financing needs; private sector; fiscal policy; central bank; sensitivity analysis; credit bureau; banking sector; debt service; export credit; medium outlook; Caribbean; Global
Cover Policy Papers
Technical Assistance Evaluation Program - Findings of Evaluations and Updated Program - Second Mid-Term Review of the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre
International Monetary Fund
CARTAC, the second of the regional technical assistance centers, was created with singular emphasis on ownership of technical assistance by the beneficiary countries. To this end, it was structured as a UNDP project with the IMF as Executing Agency and with a Steering Committee empowered to give strategic guidance to the program and select its senior staff from short lists provided by the IMF. With the spread of the RTAC modality, the IMF has sought to bring the Centers' activities within the ambit of overall resource planning for technical assistance, ensure consistency with the institution's view on priorities for technical assistance in the countries concerned, and tighten quality control through backstopping. This has created the potential for conflict with the relative independence that CARTAC has enjoyed from its inception. The conclusion in this report, however, is that alignment with the IMF does not necessarily undermine country ownership and that the Steering Committee can play a pivotal role in defusing any tension that may arise.
Keywords:
PP; steering committee; CARTAC program; CARTAC activity; work plan; CARTAC advisers activity analysis; governance practice; cash management; on-the-job training; reform program; budget management CARTAC; Value-added tax; Budget planning and preparation; Caribbean; Middle East; East Africa
Cover Policy Papers
Technical Assistance Evaluation Program - Findings of Evaluations and Updated Program - Mid-Term Evaluation of Middle East Regional Technical Assistance Center
International Monetary Fund
CARTAC, the second of the regional technical assistance centers, was created with singular emphasis on ownership of technical assistance by the beneficiary countries. To this end, it was structured as a UNDP project with the IMF as Executing Agency and with a Steering Committee empowered to give strategic guidance to the program and select its senior staff from short lists provided by the IMF. With the spread of the RTAC modality, the IMF has sought to bring the Centers' activities within the ambit of overall resource planning for technical assistance, ensure consistency with the institution's view on priorities for technical assistance in the countries concerned, and tighten quality control through backstopping. This has created the potential for conflict with the relative independence that CARTAC has enjoyed from its inception. The conclusion in this report, however, is that alignment with the IMF does not necessarily undermine country ownership and that the Steering Committee can play a pivotal role in defusing any tension that may arise.
Keywords:
PP; steering committee; CARTAC program; work plan; CARTAC activity; governance practice; reform program; budget management CARTAC; CARTAC intervention; on-the-job training; CARTAC's work; CARTAC consultant; CARTAC PC; Value-added tax; Budget planning and preparation; Caribbean; Middle East; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belize: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix
International Monetary Fund
The erosion of EU trade preferences for bananas and sugar will have immediate negative implications for Belize’s economy. This paper suggests ways to enhance public debt management in Belize. The vulnerability of the banking sector appears relatively modest. However, the current level of loan-loss provisions and collateral valuation rules are not up to the international standards. Important steps have been taken to further improve compliance with the Basel Core Principles. The importance of debt-service reduction through sound macroeconomic policies is highlighted.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; current account; loan; debt management office; ACP country; IAIS insurance core principle; REER index; bank supervisor; loan portfolio; equilibrium exchange rate path; unit-labor-cost-based REER; exchange rate peg; Agricultural commodities; Government debt management; Loans; Commercial banks; Real exchange rates; Caribbean