The dispute over the leadership of the central bank last August and the associated disruption in oil production weighed on growth in 2024. Output is estimated to have contracted, driven by the forced ...

In recent years, Albania has experienced a sustained appreciation of the domestic currency. This raises the questions of what factors are driving this appreciation and how to calibrate appropriate ...

Over the past decade, the Albanian banking sector has undergone a remarkable transformation amid strong macroeconomic performance and sound financial reforms. Nevertheless, pockets of vulnerability ...

Destination substitution, whereby stricter policies in the intended destination divert people to other places or leave them stranded in transit. Categorical substitution, whereby tighter policies for ...

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Mr. Stéphane Roudet, Mission Chief for Ghana, held meetings in Accra from April 2 to April 15, 2025, to discuss progress on the authorities’ ...

Despite recent government-led initiatives to improve investor access and encourage participation by local businesses, capital markets in Oman remain relatively small and illiquid and the investor base ...

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Alexandre Chailloux visited Burundi on March 17-28 to hold meetings with the Burundian authorities and other counterparts from the public and private s ...

The transition to a vibrant economy under Oman Vision 2040 and the urgency to develop a more dynamic private sector that can absorb the entry of a young and educated labor force both stress the need ...

Motivated by Oman’s economic transformation agenda, this paper: (i) takes stock of the state of digitalization in Oman; (ii) provides an illustration of potential gains from enhanced digitalization; ...

Labor productivity in Sweden is among the highest in Europe but has been experiencing a secular decline since the GFC, similar to trends in other advanced economies. Sweden’s strong performance is ...

Heightened tensions can hurt stock markets, raise government borrowing costs, and pose risks to financial stability ...

The prevalent strong preference for public sector employment among young Omanis, coupled with demographic pressures and medium-term fiscal sustainability objectives amid economic diversification away ...