Country Reports
2024
June 6, 2024
Spain: Financial System Stability Assessment
Description: The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) took place in an uncertain economic environment with tight monetary and financial conditions and elevated downside risks. The bank-dominated Spanish financial system has shown resilience against shocks and household and nonfinancial corporate sectors have continued to de-lever their balance-sheets. Nonbank financial intermediation comprises a smaller share of the financial system.
June 6, 2024
Spain: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: The Spanish economy has been resilient to successive shocks, whose effects were mitigated by unprecedented policy support that is now being phased out. The labor market performance has been exceptionally strong, and some of its perennial deficiencies—most notably the large share of temporary workers and high unemployment—have eased. Growth is projected to reach 2.4 percent in 2024, and headline and core inflation are expected to converge close to the ECB’s target before mid-2025. Risks have become more balanced but are still tilted to the downside for growth and the upside for inflation, including predominantly domestic risks (political fragmentation, under-execution of NGEU spending) but also global risks (energy price volatility, geopolitical risks, geo-economic fragmentation).
June 5, 2024
Trinidad and Tobago: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Trinidad and Tobago
Description: The economy continues to recover while inflation is low. Banks’ credit is expanding, and the financial sector appears sound and stable. The current account is in surplus and international reserve coverage is adequate. The fiscal position in FY2023 was better than budgeted, while public debt remained below the authorities’ soft debt target.
June 4, 2024
Republic of Kosovo: Second Reviews Under the Stand-By Arrangement and the Arrangement Under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility and Request for Modification of Reform Measure-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Republic of Kosovo
Description: Recent developments, outlook, and risks. Kosovo’s economy has continued to perform well, despite a challenging external environment. Real GDP growth moderated to 3¼ percent in 2023 amid subdued external demand. Inflation has decelerated sharply, reaching 2 percent y/y in the first quarter of 2024. Growth is projected to accelerate to 3¾ percent in 2024, driven by domestic demand. Key risks to the outlook include commodity price spikes due to geopolitical tensions, weaker activity in advanced European economies, and an escalation of tensions in northern Kosovo.
June 4, 2024
Djibouti: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Djibouti
Description: Following years of high growth led by public investment, consecutive exogeneous shocks have weighed heavily on Djibouti’s economy and on its debt. Nonetheless, with the peace deal in Ethiopia, growth rebounded strongly in 2023. The normalization of the external environment together with Djibouti’s ongoing debt rescheduling discussions with main creditors are expected to reopen policy space, but restoring debt sustainability would require fully addressing the debt burden through a balanced mix of reforms, new concessional financing, and debt relief.
May 31, 2024
Gabon: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Gabon
Description: In August 2023, Gabon underwent a major political transition after a coup d’état had overthrown a decades-long regime. Despite multiple reform attempts, years of poorly managed oil wealth, weak inclusion, and stagnant incomes fragilized the political and socio-economic environment in the runup to the coup. The transition authorities now face a historic opportunity to pivot towards a more transparent and inclusive model of governance, but overcoming decades of entrenched institutional practice will require sustained reform efforts to achieve a point of no return. Meanwhile, the Fund-supported EFF program veered off-track soon after the completion of the first two reviews in 2022 and will expire soon.