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Asia and Pacific > India

You are looking at 1 - 10 of 99 items for :

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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Bhutan: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Bhutan
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The 2024 Article IV Consultation highlights that Bhutan achieved significant improvements in social conditions during the last decade, raising living standards. Poverty and inequality have declined, while extreme poverty has been eliminated. Growth is projected to accelerate over the medium term as a large hydro-project is commissioned and capital spending is boosted with the support of external grants. Pull factors are expected to slow down emigration, thereby reducing pressures on the supply side. A gradual fiscal consolidation based on revenue mobilization and accompanied by some spending restraint is needed to increase fiscal space and to reduce reliance on external grants in the longer term. Structural policies should focus on fostering high-quality private sector jobs, as well as diversifying exports. There is scope to strengthen the Royal Monetary Authority’s governance framework, as well as to step up anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism efforts. Improvements in data quality have been significant, but further actions are needed to address remaining weaknesses. These include a need for greater transparency on crypto assets operations.
Keywords:
FDI company; foreign exchange resource; cover loan restructuring; capital investment; IMF team; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Nepal: Fourth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Nepal
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
This paper focuses on Nepal’s Fourth Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement. Nepal has made good progress with implementation of the program, despite a challenging political environment. With growth below potential, executing the planned increase in capital spending, as envisaged in the FY24/25 budget, while maintaining fiscal discipline through domestic revenue mobilization and rationalization of current spending remains critical to boost growth and preserve medium-term fiscal sustainability. Monetary policy should maintain the current cautious, data-driven approach to preserving price and external stability. Avoiding further boom-bust credit cycles is critical to establish a more stable, pro-growth equilibrium. Continued progress on the structural front remains needed to foster investment and more inclusive growth. These include improving the business climate, building human capital, and continuing to improve social safety nets, in particular aiming for full execution of the child grant budget, followed by an expansion of the program to all districts in Nepal.
Keywords:
ECF arrangement; UML-NC coalition; Nepali authorities; ECF program implementation; accommodative monetary policy stance; Credit; Debt relief; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Union of the Comoros: Second Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Union of Comoros
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This paper presents Union of Comoros’ Second Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement and Request for a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion. Performance under Comoros’s economic reform program continues to be broadly satisfactory, and the authorities remain committed to the economic policies and reforms underpinning the ECF-supported program. Reforms are beginning to bear fruit, with visible signs of macroeconomic stabilization. However, Comoros continues to face the challenges of a small, fragile island state which requires steadfast program implementation and continued support from international partners. Monetary policy has contained inflation and ensured sufficient external buffers for Comoros and the stability of the peg. Continued efforts to stabilize the financial sector, including through the restructuring of the state-owned postal bank, addressing credit quality in the banking system, and strengthening banking supervision and resolution capacities are welcome. Support from international partners continues to be important for addressing the country’s large development needs and climate-related risks.
Keywords:
Comorian authorities; Union of the Comoros' Extended Credit Facility; government liquidity; customs administrations IT management systems; ECF arrangement; Arrears; Credit; Government debt management; East Africa; West Africa; Global; Middle East
Cover IMF Working Papers
Monitoring Privately-held Firms' Default Risk in Real Time: A Signal-Knowledge Transfer Learning Model
Jorge A Chan-Lau
,
Ruofei Hu
,
Luca Mungo
,
Ritong Qu
,
Weining Xin
, and
Cheng Zhong
We develop a mixed-frequency, tree-based, gradient-boosting model designed to assess the default risk of privately held firms in real time. The model uses data from publicly-traded companies to construct a probability of default (PD) function. This function integrates high-frequency, market-based, aggregate distress signals with low-frequency, firm-level financial ratios, and macroeconomic indicators. When provided with private firms' financial ratios, the model, which we name signal-knowledge transfer learning model (SKTL), transfers insights gained from 35 thousand publicly-traded firms to more than 4 million private-held ones and performs well as an ordinal measure of privately-held firms' default risk.
Keywords:
Default risk; Corporate sector; Privately-held firm; Gradient boosting; Transfer learning; signal-knowledge transfer learning model; publicly-traded firm; gradient-boosting model; transfers insight; held firm; Financial statements; Debt default; Solvency; Credit risk; Europe; North America; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover Selected Issues Papers
Securing Fiscal Discipline and Credibility in WAEMU: WAEMU
Ljubica Dordevic
and
Olivia Y Ibrahim
Fiscal consolidation and the reintroduction of the WAEMU fiscal framework is crucial for maintaining debt sustainability, external viability, and financial stability. The 3 and 70 percent of GDP deficit and debt ceilings envisaged by the expired rule remain appropriate, while addressing the stock-flow adjustments will help rebuild fiscal buffers. Convergence to a fiscal deficit of 3 percent of GDP should be ensured by 2025— barring exceptional circumstances—with focus on domestic revenue mobilization, while controlling expenditure. To secure fiscal discipline and credibility, it is essential to revamp the fiscal rule with a credible debt correction mechanism and exogenous escape clauses.
Keywords:
monetary union; fiscal policy; fiscal consolidation; fiscal rules; debt; stock flow adjustment; stock-flow adjustment; credibility in WAEMU; deficit ceiling; deficit target; deficit rule; Debt sustainability; Fiscal space; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Maldives: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Maldives
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The 2021 Article IV Consultation highlights that the Maldives is recovering after the historical 2020 fall in tourism, aided by a rapid coronavirus disease 2019-vaccination program rollout. While the prompt and comprehensive policy approach in early 2020 was effective, a more prolonged pandemic and ambitious infrastructure projects are further weakening large pre-pandemic fiscal and external vulnerabilities. The strong (but still partial) recovery in tourism since 2020Q4 has improved the outlook, but fiscal and external positions are projected to remain weak over the medium term, underpinned by current capital expenditure plans. The Maldives has both a high risk of external debt distress and high overall risk of debt distress. The team agreed that a tighter monetary policy stance might be needed to ensure compatibility with the exchange rate peg, lower external imbalances and build-up reserves. They supported the Maldives Monetary Authority’s ongoing efforts to modernize monetary policy and the foreign exchange operations framework, including those aimed at eliminating exchange rate restrictions and multiple currency practices.
Keywords:
positivity rate; program rollout; MMA authorities; staff projection; staff supplement; Maldivian authorities; MMA advance; COVID-19; Capital spending; South Asia; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Suriname: Third Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Suriname
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This paper presents Suriname’s Third Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility. The authorities’ commitment to macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline under the program is starting to bear fruit. The economy is stabilizing as exchange rate pressures have eased and inflation, while still high, is on a downward trend. The authorities’ main near-term policy priority is to maintain fiscal prudence while protecting the most vulnerable and supporting growth-enhancing investment. Decisive fiscal adjustment is putting debt on a firm downward trajectory even as expenditures to protect the vulnerable are being prioritized. Monetary and fiscal restraints are easing pressures on the exchange rate, but inflation has yet to move decisively lower. Efforts are underway to broaden the tax base, increase spending efficiency, improve governance, and address longstanding vulnerabilities in the financial system. The authorities have enacted an amendment to increase value added tax revenues and have finalized a framework to assess banks’ recapitalization and restructuring plans.
Keywords:
end-December QPC; staff appraisal; near-term policy priority; governance reform; Surinamese authorities; Arrears; Inflation; Debt restructuring; Caribbean; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Suriname: Second Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility, Requests for Rephasing and Reduction of Access, Waivers of nonobservance of Performance Criteria and Financing Assurances Review-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Supplement; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Suriname
International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept.
This paper presents Suriname’s Review under the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility, Requests for Rephasing and Reduction of Access, Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria (PC), and Financing Assurances Review. The authorities have made concerted efforts to bring their economic recovery program back on track and stabilize the economy, foremost by restoring fiscal discipline, while expanding social assistance programs to protect the poor. They have also reached important milestones in debt restructuring negotiations, which, alongside fiscal consolidation, will support Suriname’s efforts to restore debt sustainability. The end-December 2022 quantitative performance criteria on the cumulative central government primary balance and net domestic assets were missed. Two continuous PCs and one standard continuous PC were also breached. Progress on implementing the structural agenda has moved ahead but with delays. The authorities are continuing to make progress with their structural reform agenda. Structural reforms to strengthen institutions, governance, and data quality remain key priorities with continued capacity building support by IMF and Suriname’s other development partners.
Keywords:
roadmap triage; staff appraisal; governance reform of bank; government FX sale; sales transaction; Exchange rates; Multiple currency practices; Arrears; Caribbean; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
India: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for India
International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept
The economy has rebounded from the pandemic-related downturn but is facing new headwinds. The authorities have responded with fiscal policy measures to support vulnerable groups and to mitigate the economic impact of commodity price increases, as well as with front-loaded monetary policy tightening to address elevated inflation. A world class public digital infrastructure is facilitating innovation, productivity improvements and access to services. Further structural reforms, including to address the adverse impact of climate change, are needed to secure strong and sustainable growth.
Keywords:
RBI values equity liability; insolvency regime; headline consumer price inflation; monetary policy action; digitalization success; gross investment; poverty estimate; Credit; Inflation; Fiscal stance; Global; Middle East; Eastern Europe; South Asia; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Financial Sector and Economic Growth in India
Ms. Margaux MacDonald
and
Ms. TengTeng Xu
India’s financial sector has faced many challenges in recent decades, with a large, negative, and persistent credit to GDP gap since 2012. We examine how cyclical financial conditions affect GDP growth using a growth-at-risk (GaR) approach and analyze the link between bank balance sheets, credit growth, and long-term growth using bank-level panel regressions for both public and private banks. We find that on a cyclical basis, a negative shock to credit or a rise in macro vulnerability all shift the distribution of growth to the left, with lower expected growth and higher negative tail risks; over the long term, the results indicate that higher credit growth, arising from better capitalized banks with lower NPLs, is associated with higher GDP growth.
Keywords:
India; Credit and Leverage; Macro-financial Linkages; Growth-at-Risk; Panel Regressions.; credit growth; cyclical financial conditions; economic growth in India; GDP gap; bank capitalization; Credit; Bank credit; State-owned banks; Debt financing; Financial statements; Global; NPL ratio; bank equity; bank assets; growth from bank