Country Reports
2022
March 2, 2022
Zimbabwe: Technical Assistance Report-Basel III Implementation
Description: As a follow-up to the 2019 FSSR, a remote TA mission supported the RBZ with the implementation of Basel III liquidity standards. The mission reviewed the RBZ drafts of the LCR and NSFR frameworks, discussed identified material gaps with the BSD management and relevant supervisors, and provided many recommendations on enhancing the drafts of liquidity regulations, monitoring tools, reporting templates, and disclosure. Further actions for implementing Basel III liquidity standards were agreed with the RBZ.
March 2, 2022
West African Economic and Monetary Union: Staff Report On Common Policies for Member Countries-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive for the WAEMU
Description: The WAEMU has, so far, demonstrated strong resilience to the Covid crisis. The economic rebound that started in the second half of 2020 firmed up in 2021, while fiscal and monetary policies remained supportive. External reserves have risen to comfortable levels and the financial system appears to be broadly sound. However, the region faces significant challenges to ensure the sustainability of macroeconomic policies, while supporting the economic recovery and navigating the uncertain outlook.
March 1, 2022
Republic of Kazakhstan: Technical Assistance Report-Risk-Based Supervision Pillar 2 Liquidity
Description: This virtual technical assistance (TA) mission assisted the Agency in strengthening liquidity elements of its risk-based supervisory framework. The mission focused on supporting the Agency with the development of internal supervisory methodology for the assessment of banks’ ILAAP and setting individual Pillar 2 supervisory liquidity requirements and provided guidance on stress testing and sensitivity analysis through survival horizon analysis. The mission consisted of a combination of presentations, discussions, and trainings, including case studies, and covered the BCBS standards on liquidity risk and other jurisdictions’ approaches for the assessment of ILAAP and the Pillar 2 liquidity supervisory review process. This mission should be seen in the context of previous three IMF TA missions which were held since September 2020.
March 1, 2022
Republic of Kazakhstan: Technical Assistance Report-Risk-Based Supervision Pillar 2 Implementation
Description: This virtual technical assistance (TA) mission supported the Agency in strengthening certain elements of its risk based supervisory framework. The mission focused on assisting the Agency with its development of internal supervisory methodologies for assessing a bank’s ICAAP, and for setting individual Pillar 2 supervisory capital requirements. The mission provided recommendations and targeted training. The priorities for the next TA missions were discussed with the Agency (strengthening banking supervision and cybersecurity, and diagnostic TA of insurance sector supervision will be considered). The mission benefited from simultaneous translation.
February 28, 2022
Zimbabwe: Technical Assistance Report-Undertaking Supervisory Examinations Remotely Due to COVID-19 Operational Restrictions
Description: The RBZ is in the process of recommencing on-site examinations, but due to COVID-19 operational restrictions, these will need to be undertaken remotely. The RBZ has developed a draft remote examination framework document to guide this work and requested AFS assistance to review the framework, and also provide information on how other supervisors are undertaking examinations remotely. The mission provided training on international practice of remote examinations, which was presented by supervisors from the Bank of Ghana (BOG), Bank of Thailand (BOT) and the De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and reviewed the draft remote examination framework document. The training covered adjustments to examination framework and operational issues and key points of consideration when undertaking examinations remotely. The mission also reviewed the RBZ consolidated examination manual, to provide feedback to the RBZ on the feasibility of undertaking supervisory examinations remotely, as described in the manual and provide points for consideration for undertaking such examination remotely.
February 25, 2022
Arab Republic of Egypt: Technical Assistance Report-Improving Surveillance of Public-Private Partnerships
Description: This report summarizes key findings and recommendations of two off-site visits made by Mr. Benoit Wiest, Public Financial Management Advisor at METAC, and Ms. Katja Funke, Expert, between December 2020 and April 2021. The mission worked with the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) unit to develop capacities and transparency of fiscal risk management, and support the update of the regulatory framework, as well as the analysis of fiscal risks from PPPs.
February 24, 2022
Republic of Poland: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Poland
Description: The Polish economy has rebounded strongly, with policy actions limiting the damage from the pandemic-induced recession by supporting employment and avoiding unnecessary bankruptcies. While the pandemic continues to take a toll on lives, the economy has been less impacted by successive waves of the pandemic.
February 24, 2022
Montenegro: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Montenegro
Description: COVID-19 hit the economy hard, but a strong recovery is underway. Public debt, already elevated before the pandemic, has increased further. The government has embarked on a reform program ‘Europe Now’, which aims to arrest outward migration through a sharp minimum wage increase, labor tax wedge reduction, and the introduction of a progressive tax code. The financial sector appears to have withstood the COVID-19 shock well.
February 23, 2022
United Kingdom: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the United Kingdom
Description: The UK’s rapid vaccination campaign enabled it to start to reopen the economy in the Spring of 2021. With highly accommodative policies, the recovery has been faster than expected. However, capacity constraints and rising price pressures have emerged while new Covid-19 variants have raised new uncertainties. The government has allowed all initial pandemic support programs to sunset but has loosened near-term fiscal policy while specifying a back-loaded medium-term consolidation plan. With continued above-target inflation readings, the BoE made a first move to raise the policy rate in December. Macroprudential policies are returning to more standard risk settings. The near-term growth outlook remains strong, but so too are price pressures, while the financial cycle remains ahead of the economic cycle. The pandemic and Brexit have magnified structural challenges. Real GDP would remain below its pre-pandemic trend by about 2–2¼ percent in the medium term. Risks are considerable in the period ahead, centering on new Covid-19 waves and spillovers from tensions in Eastern Europe.