Narrow Your Choices

Refine By Topic

Refine By Series

Refine By Language

Refine By Date

—

Refine By IMF Taxonomy

Refine By JEL Taxonomy

Refine by LOC Taxonomy

Refine By THEMA Taxonomy

  • Print
  • Save

Europe > Ukraine

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

  • Type: Journal Issue x
  • International Financial Markets x
Clear All Modify Search
Cover Technical Assistance Reports
Georgia: Technical Assistance Report-Report on Stress Testing the Central Bank Balance Sheet and Developing Hedging Markets
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This CD engagement covered two distinct areas to help the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) deliver on its price stability mandate, it: 1) provided a forward-looking analysis of the NBG’s balance sheet to assess its policy solvency and to help institutionalize such a process, and 2) outlined a strategy to develop hedging instruments in interest rate and foreign exchange (FX) markets to support monetary policy transmission. With virtually no interest-bearing liabilities, the NBG balance sheet is robust. Under the adverse shock, it improves on account of FX revaluation gains. Higher inflation also helps, since the need for a higher policy rate generates larger domestic interest income. Institutionalizing this analysis allows for early warning of the need to reduce dividend payments (or for re-capitalization) thereby supporting operational independence. Georgia has made good progress on many of the enabling conditions for developing hedging markets, but several structural factors provide challenges. A supportive regulatory environment is in place, market infrastructure is robust, and there is a range of instruments available to serve as the underlying instrument for derivatives. However, there is a lack of heterogeneity of financial risk profile and appetite amongst participants. Recommendations include setting up a standardized FX forward trading platform, pushing for upgrades of banks’ treasury management systems, supporting the targeted education and training efforts of the Georgian Financial Markets Treasuries Association, revising the current FX forward index to be more informative by publishing outright transacted rates; and publishing Overnight Indexed Swap benchmarks.
Keywords:
Georgia; Monetary policy transmission; Central bank policy solvency; Central bank independence; Financial market development; Foreign exchange markets; Money markets.; NBG balance sheet; hedging market; Department mission; market infrastructure; request of the National Bank of Georgia; Financial statements; Hedging; Currency markets; Exchange rate risk; Global; Eastern Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Belgium: Financial Sector Assessment Program-Financial System Stability Assessment
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
This paper focuses on the report on Belgium’s Financial Sector Assessment Program. Economic activity has slowed, core inflation remains high, and the fiscal outlook is challenging. The financial sector has remained resilient despite a series of shocks. Key financial stability risks emanate from the large, concentrated, and interconnected banking sector, private sector indebtedness, and high exposure to real estate. Bank solvency stress tests indicate that the financial sector is resilient under severe macroeconomic shocks. Although there is some heterogeneity across financial institutions, all banks would satisfy the minimum capital criteria. The authorities should enhance the National Bank of Belgium’s powers to set macroprudential policy in line with its financial stability mandate. In the near term, the extension/ setting of capital requirements should be streamlined, without the requirement for government approval. There is scope to strengthen the corporate governance framework and expectations for banks, and boost prudential supervisory staffing, especially given upcoming regulatory developments.
Keywords:
bank solvency stress tests; insurance solvency stress test; NBB coordination; corporate governance framework; cash flow; B. bank Oversight; market share; Stress testing; Financial sector stability; Insurance companies; Financial Sector Assessment Program; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Burundi: Request for a 38-Month Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Burundi
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This paper highlights Burundi’s Request for a 38-Month Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Burundi faces protracted balance of payments needs with a widening current account deficit and low foreign reserves coverage, large development needs, and macroeconomic challenges triggered by spillovers from the war in Ukraine and domestic climate shocks and livestock sanitary crisis. The 38-month arrangement under the ECF will help cushion Burundi’s adjustment and support the authorities’ reform agenda aimed at reducing debt vulnerabilities, recalibrating exchange rate and monetary policies to restore external sustainability, and strengthening inclusive economic growth and governance. Under the ECF arrangement, the authorities aim to recalibrate Burundi’s macroeconomic policy mix. They plan to restore external sustainability with the unification of the official and parallel exchange rate markets and foreign exchange market liberalization, while being attuned to financial sector vulnerabilities. They will strengthen debt sustainability and achieve a better-quality fiscal consolidation path through higher domestic revenue mobilization, scaled-up investment and better targeted spending, and prudent borrowing.
Keywords:
year contract; Burundian authorities; coordination committee; FX market liberalization; policy reform; anchor inflation expectation; Currency markets; Africa; Global; Southern Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: 2022 Article IV Consultation and Request for 42-Month Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Volatile commodity prices and a tightly managed exchange rate (ER) have led to boom and bust cycles with significant impacts on the public and financial sectors. While the previous Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement (December 2017—March 2021) has helped maintain macroeconomic stability, the pandemic has delayed structural reform implementation and widened the gap to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, surging international commodity prices since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine have deteriorated the external and fiscal balances and led to inflationary pressures and food insecurity. In March 2021, the authorities requested a successor arrangement to support accelerated implementation of their national development strategy, help increase social and infrastructure spending, and improve governance and the business environment.
Keywords:
development effort; Medium-term policy priority; Mauritanian authorities; commodity price movement; IMF arrangement; AIV policy recommendation; Operational risk; Debt sustainability analysis; Currency markets; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: 2022 Article IV Consultation and Request for 42-Month Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This paper discusses Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s 2022 Article IV Consultation and Requests for 42-Month Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility. The Mauritanian authorities’ IMF-supported reform program presents a comprehensive policy package to preserve macroeconomic stability, strengthen the fiscal and monetary policy frameworks, and improve governance, to consolidate the foundations for sustainable, inclusive growth, and reduce poverty. Mauritania’s economic growth has accelerated in 2022, driven primarily by the extractive sectors, while Inflation should stabilize at approximately 11 percent reflecting the central bank tight monetary policy. Mauritania has present and prospective balance of payments (BoP) needs while a confluence of shocks including the war in Ukraine and regional tensions have narrowed the space for policy intervention. The BoP needs could widen considering significant risks to the baseline including a protracted war in Ukraine, tensions in the Sahel region, climate shocks, increasing volatility in international commodity markets, and delays in the start of the Grand Tortue/Ahmeyim offshore gas project.
Keywords:
development effort; Medium-term policy priority; Mauritanian authorities; commodity price movement; IMF arrangement; AIV policy recommendation; Operational risk; Debt sustainability analysis; Currency markets; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions 2015
Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions 2015
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department

Abstract

This is the 66th issue of the AREAER, which provides comprehensive descriptions of the foreign exchange arrangements, exchange and trade systems, and capital controls of all IMF member countries. It describes each country’s market operations, international trade policies, controls on capital transactions, and financial sector measures. AREAERs from 1988 are available on IMF eLibrary, and cumulative data from each annual report dating back to 1999 are available in a single online database, AREAER Online (see below). The 2015 AREAER includes a print version of the Overview and key summary tables and a CD that includes 191 individual country chapters.

Keywords:
AREAER; market; exchange rate; center; article
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Impact of Debt Sustainability and the Level of Debt on Emerging Markets Spreads
Nazim Belhocine
and
Mr. Salvatore Dell'Erba
How do financial markets respond to concerns over debt sustainability and the level of public debt in emerging markets? We introduce a measure of debt sustainability – the difference between the debt stabilizing primary balance and the primary balance–in an otherwise standard spread regression model applied to a panel of 26 emerging market economies. We find that debt sustainability is an important determinant of spreads. In addition, using a panel smooth transition regression model, we find that the sensitivity of spreads to debt sustainability doubles as public debt increases above 45 percent of GDP. These results suggest that market interest rates react more to debt sustainability concerns in a country with a high level of debt compared to a country with a low level of debt.
Keywords:
WP; debt ratio; math; Sovereign debt; sovereign spreads; emerging markets debt; debt sustainability; debt level; financial market reaction; market expectation; spillover effect; market-perceived debt; present discounted value; debt benchmark; debt sustainability measure; expectations of fundamentals; world interest rate; sovereign bond spread; Debt sustainability; Fiscal stance; Emerging and frontier financial markets; Global
Cover IMF Policy Discussion Papers
Considerations in the Choice of the Appropriate Discount Rate for Evaluating Sovereign Debt Restructurings
Ms. Julie A Kozack
Assessments regarding the effectiveness of sovereign debt restructurings are often summarized by comparisons of the net present value of debt service before and after the restructuring. These calculations are inherently sensitive to the choice of discount rate. This paper explores issues that arise in selecting discount rates when evaluating sovereign debt restructurings. It suggests using a range of discount rates and centering the analysis around the internal rate of return to assess whether the debt restructuring has generated net present value savings or costs to the debtor.
Keywords:
PDP; NPV calculation; NPV saving; debt-service payment; Discount rate; sovereign debt restructuring; financial crisis; net present value; discount rate range; uniform discount rate; NPV cost; default premium; NPV estimate; stock concept; calculations to the choice; savings from the perspective; associated NPV calculation; NPV neutral; Discount rates; Debt restructuring; Debt service; Debt sustainability; Yield curve; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Bond Restructuring and Moral Hazard: Are Collective Action Clauses Costly?
Mr. Torbjorn I. Becker
,
Mr. Anthony J. Richards
, and
Mr. Yunyong Thaicharoen
Many official groups have endorsed the wider use by emerging market borrowers of contract clauses which allow for a qualified majority of bondholders to restructure repayment terms in the event of financial distress. Some have argued that such clauses will be associated with moral hazard and increased borrowing costs. This paper addresses this question empirically using primary and secondary market yields and finds no evidence that the presence of collective action clauses increases yields for either higher- or lower-rated issuers. By implication, the perceived benefits from easier restructuring are at least as large as any costs from increased moral hazard.
Keywords:
WP; emerging market; low-rated borrower; bond issue; secondary market yield; Bond restructuring; collective action clauses; moral hazard; emerging markets; bond yields; contract design; yield premium; primary market yield data; bearer bond; rate issue; yield difference; bond contract; bond characteristic; Bonds; Emerging and frontier financial markets; International bonds; Global
Cover Macroeconomic Developments in the Baltics, Russia, and Other Countries of the Former Soviet Union, 1992-97
Macroeconomic Developments in the Baltics, Russia, and Other Countries of the Former Soviet Union, 1992-97
Mr. Luis Valdivieso

Abstract

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.

Keywords:
OP; reformer; deficit; SBA III; exchange market pressure; intermediate reformer; IMF staff estimate; IMF support; adjustment program; treasury bill market; Real exchange rates; Currency markets; Debt burden; International capital markets; Baltics