Finland: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Finland
Finland: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Finland

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2022-01-31

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13:

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With strong policy support, Finland suffered a relatively mild economic contraction in 2020 followed by a swift recovery in 2021. Medium-term growth prospects are less strong, due to adverse demographics and low productivity growth—trends that precede the pandemic. Public debt has increased due to pandemic-related support and will remain on a rising trajectory in the medium term, largely reflecting permanent spending increases.

Taming the Cycles of Finance?
Taming the Cycles of Finance?

Author: Matthias Thiemann

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2024-01-31

Total Pages: 353

ISBN-13: 1009233106

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Macroprudential regulation is a set of economic and policy tools that aim to mitigate risk in the financial and banking systems. It was largely developed in response to the financial crisis of 2007-08, turning central banks into de facto financial policemen. Taming the Cycles of Finance traces the post-crisis rise of macroprudential regulation and argues that, despite its original aims, it typically supports finance in times of crisis but fails to curb it in times of booms. Investigating how different macroprudential frameworks developed in the UK, the USA and the Eurozone, the book explains how central bank economists went about building early warning systems to identify fragilities in the financial system. It then shows how administrative and political constraints limited the effects of this shift, as central banks were wary of intervening in a discretionary manner and policymakers were opposed to measures to limit credit growth.

Panama: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Panama
Panama: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Panama

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2021-07-30

Total Pages: 82

ISBN-13: 1513588141

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After over two decades of unprecedented economic expansion, Panama’s economy contracted sharply in 2020 amidst challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. As conditions rapidly deteriorated, Panama requested financial support under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) for 100 percent of quota equivalent to US$0.5 billion (SDR 0.4 billion) to address immediate balance of payments needs, which the IMF Executive Board approved on April 15, 2020. Subsequently, uncertainties magnified, and Panama requested a two-year arrangement under the Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL) for 500 percent of quota, equivalent to US$2.7 billion (SDR 1.9 billion), as insurance against extreme external shocks, which was approved by the IMF Executive Board on January 19, 2021.

Thailand: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Thailand
Thailand: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Thailand

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2021-06-03

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1513573020

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A nascent recovery is underway in Thailand following the COVID-19 downturn. Ample policy buffers, underpinned by judicious management of public finances, allowed the authorities to implement a multipronged package of fiscal, monetary, and financial policies to mitigate the COVID-19 impact on households, businesses, and the financial system. This, together with rigorous containment measures, led to a successful flattening of the infection curve during most of 2020. Nevertheless, the pandemic has taken a large toll on the economy, potentially inducing long-term scarring and increasing inequality.

Luxembourg: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Luxembourg
Luxembourg: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Luxembourg

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2021-05-25

Total Pages: 79

ISBN-13: 1513572997

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The economic impact of the pandemic has been much milder than initially foreseen, still the outlook remains challenging. The economy, dominated by financial services, adapted quickly to telework and benefited from unprecedented policy support, both domestically and globally. Uncertainty is unusually high, dominated by the virus dynamics in the short term, with downside risks relating to a sharp rise in global risk premia, deglobalization trends, and changes in international taxation.

Iceland: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Iceland
Iceland: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Statement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Iceland

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2021-06-08

Total Pages: 77

ISBN-13: 1513573144

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The Icelandic economy has been severely affected by the pandemic. Sharp tourism contraction and containment measures caused real GDP to plummet by 6.6 percent in 2020. A modest recovery will take hold in 2021. Recovery prospects in the tourism sector depend on control of the epidemic and progress in global and domestic vaccine distribution, spelling a challenging outlook with possibly deep medium-term scarring. Fiscal policy should continue to support the economy for now. Policy buffers accumulated over the last decade provided space for a large fiscal support and accommodated substantial automatic stabilizers. Additional stimulus is planned in 2021 to address still large slack in the economy, mitigate scarring, and provide confidence in the event of downside risks. Medium-term policies should ensure that public debt is firmly on a downward path, while limiting the drag on growth.

Republic of Lithuania: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Lithuania
Republic of Lithuania: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Lithuania

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2021-09

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 1513593196

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With a demonstrated resilience to the crisis and the recovery gaining strength, macroeconomic policies should aim at preserving stability and complementing structural reforms that address long-standing challenges. A medium-term plan to rebuild buffers, support potential growth, and target pockets of vulnerability would help address pre-existing disparities and poverty. Sustained productivity growth, supported by the implementation of politically difficult but needed structural reforms, is the only way to support high wage growth and convergence with Western Europe. Failure to do so could jeopardize Lithuania’s hard-earned competitiveness gains.

Finland
Finland

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2023-01-23

Total Pages: 73

ISBN-13:

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The economy recovered swiftly from the pandemic, but Russia’s war in Ukraine has worsened the outlook given Finland’s exposures to the fallout through trade and increase in energy prices, while high inflation and rising interest rates are weighing on household purchasing power. Long-standing structural challenges—from adverse demographics and low productivity growth—remain. Tighter financial conditions will test the resilience of Finland’s large financial system: banks are well-capitalized, but vulnerable to liquidity shocks and exposed to credit risks from other Nordics and high household debt.

Finland
Finland

Author: International Monetary Fund. European Dept.

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2019-01-16

Total Pages: 63

ISBN-13: 148439349X

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Recent growth has been healthy, and the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level since 2011. However, some underlying weaknesses remain. The rate in which new jobs are created and the “churn” of workers relocating across jobs has not picked up with the recovery, labor productivity growth remains weak, and the outlook for potential growth is constrained by a shrinking workforce. Household debt has been increasing as the economy has recovered, and some borrowers appear vulnerable to interest rate increases.

Denmark: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Alternate Executive Director for Denmark
Denmark: 2022 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Alternate Executive Director for Denmark

Author: International Monetary

Publisher: International Monetary Fund

Published: 2022-06-16

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13:

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The strength of the economic recovery bodes well for the rebound in activity to persist, but uncertainty remains high due to the war in Ukraine and the pandemic, with risks tilted to the downside. With employment above pre-pandemic levels, however, labor market pressures have increased. High energy prices have propelled inflation to a historic high. The current account remains elevated. High household debt constitutes a key source of risk as house price growth remains strong.