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VAISHALI ASHTAKALA
,
Joanne Tan
,
Timila Dhakhwa
, and
Yipei Zhang
The Malagasy government aims for self-sufficiency in rice production by 2027, targeting 6 million tons in 2024 and 11 million tons by 2030. Despite recent production increases, challenges such as competition from cheaper imports, low productivity, and climate change persist. This paper analyzes the impact of import competition on local markets, utilizing historical data on tariffs and VAT. It assesses potential rice output under various scenarios and discusses strategies for enhancing productivity sustainably. Findings indicate significant room for improvement in rice yields, highlighting the need for targeted supply-side policies to bolster local production without adversely affecting prices.
Manabu Nose
and
Jeta Menkulasi

Domestic sovereign bonds have become a growing source of government financing in Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs). This paper investigates the role of fiscal policies in determining domestic bond yields, and how this relationship varies depending on the debt structure. Specifically, the analysis highlights the interaction of fiscal policy with banking sector leverage and foreign investor holdings for government debt. A 1 percentage point increase in expected primary deficits results in a persistent increase in 10-year domestic bond yield by around 36 basis points over 2.5 years, with larger effects observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This contrasts with external bond spreads which are more sensitive to external and global risk factors. The greater the reliance on domestic banks for deficit financing, the stronger the impact of loose fiscal policy on domestic bond yields. The shift in domestic debt financing towards domestic banks after the pandemic implies that sovereign yields have been increasingly interlinked with domestic banks’ investment behavior implying potential financial sector risks in major EMDEs.

Manabu Nose
and
Jeta Menkulasi
Domestic sovereign bonds have become a growing source of government financing in Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs). This paper investigates the role of fiscal policies in determining domestic bond yields, and how this relationship varies depending on the debt structure. Specifically, the analysis highlights the interaction of fiscal policy with banking sector leverage and foreign investor holdings for government debt. A 1 percentage point increase in expected primary deficits results in a persistent increase in 10-year domestic bond yield by around 36 basis points over 2.5 years, with larger effects observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This contrasts with external bond spreads which are more sensitive to external and global risk factors. The greater the reliance on domestic banks for deficit financing, the stronger the impact of loose fiscal policy on domestic bond yields. The shift in domestic debt financing towards domestic banks after the pandemic implies that sovereign yields have been increasingly interlinked with domestic banks’ investment behavior implying potential financial sector risks in major EMDEs.
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This Selected Issues paper explores the electricity sector and Jiro sy rano Malagasy (JIRAMA) in Republic of Madagascar. JIRAMA’s production is relatively inefficient as the company produces less than what is generally acceptable, and at a higher cost. Electricity is the second biggest constraint to competitiveness reported by businesses in Madagascar, based on the Enterprise Survey conducted by the World Bank. A recovery plan is currently under preparation by the new JIRAMA management. While a first objective is for JIRAMA to reach financial sustainability and no longer be dependent on government transfers, other important objectives relate to electricity access and a shift of the production mix toward more renewables. The expansion of production capacity should take place through an increase in renewable energy to reach 85 percent of the production mix. Tariffs should be in line with recovery costs, including operational, distribution, commercialization, and investment costs. A first-best approach is to have one single household tariff and compensate most vulnerable households with targeted transfers.
Martin Grote
and
Jean-François Wen
L’impôt sur la propriété est souvent une source sous-exploitée de recettes publiques locales. Dans de nombreux pays, un impôt à large assiette, perçu à des taux raisonnables, pourrait générer des recettes nettement plus élevées et couvrir la majeure partie des coûts liés à l’amélioration des services publics locaux. La présente note offre un guide pratique pour la conception et la mise en œuvre de réformes des impôts périodiques sur la propriété immobilière et la mutation de biens immobiliers. Elle aborde les choix fondamentaux qu’ont à faire les décideurs sur l’assiette et le taux de l’impôt sur la propriété, ainsi que les principales fonctions de l’administration fiscale dans la gestion de la perception de l’impôt : évaluation, facturation et recouvrement. Les conseils contenus dans cette note découlent d’une analyse documentaire et des connaissances tirées de l’expérience du département des finances publiques dans le renforcement des capacités en matière d’impôt sur la propriété. La note reprend et met à jour certains des travaux d’analyse de Norregaard (2013) tout en fournissant des conseils plus détaillés sur les aspects pratiques de l’adoption de réformes de l’impôt sur la propriété. Elle a été rédigée dans le but d’assister les pays en développement à répondre à leurs besoins en matière de mobilisation des ressources, mais les aspects liés à la conception sont également pertinents pour les pays avancés et les pays émergents qui cherchent à accroître la productivité des recettes de l’impôt sur la propriété.
Amory Gethin

Education has been and can continue to be at the center of global poverty reduction

International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper highlights Financial System Stability Assessment report of India’s Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). India’s financial system has withstood the pandemic well and has become more resilient since the 2017 FSAP. Nonbank financial institutions—especially nonbank financial companies (NBFCs) providing credit with wholesale financing—and market financing have grown, making the financial system more diverse and interconnected. The role of the state has diminished, yet it remains significant, including in using the financial system to pursue social and public finance goals. Banks and NBFCs are generally resilient to severe macrofinancial solvency and liquidity shocks, but some banks, particularly public sector banks, may need to strengthen their capital base to support lending in such situations. The authorities should manage potential systemic risks from concentrated exposures. The regulations of state-owned NBFCs should be aligned with those of the private sector, especially given that state-owned NBFCs are currently exempt from large exposure limits.
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department

India’s financial system has withstood the pandemic well and has become more resilient since the 2017 FSAP. Nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs)—especially nonbank financial companies (NBFCs) providing credit with wholesale financing—and market financing have grown, making the financial system more diverse and interconnected. The role of the state has diminished, yet it remains significant, including in using the financial system to pursue social and public finance goals.

International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
and
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
In August 2024, at the request of the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMA), the IMF South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) conducted a Technical Assistance (TA) mission in Thimphu. The mission aimed to assist the RMA in establishing an interest rate corridor (IRC) and operationalizing related instruments, liquidity forecasting, and collateral frameworks. The mission identified that the RMA lacks necessary monetary policy instruments to effectively address changing systemic liquidity conditions and financial stability challenges. It emphasized the need to move away from reliance on administrative controls, as the absence of appropriate price incentives reinforces the preference for foreign exchange among Bhutanese residents, increasing pressures on the peg. To tackle these issues, the mission proposed a phased approach to introduce the IRC. Initially, relevant external and internal documents should be finalized, followed by mock operations. The first phase involves introducing a one-week main Open Market Operation (OMO), conducted weekly at the policy rate with full allotment. Automatic access to the IRC's standing facilities should be ensured. Later, fixed-quantity, variable-rate OMOs should be utilized, relying on liquidity forecasting to calibrate operations. Additionally, the mission recommended reinstating sweeping arrangements for government accounts and enhancing coordination with the Treasury to improve liquidity forecasting. These measures aim to strengthen the RMA's operational framework and enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy.