Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Mohamad Elhage, visited Nairobi, Kenya, from May 7—14, to conduct discussions on the second review of the second Staff-Monitored Program (SMP II) and to agree on SMP III. The team met with the Somali authorities to discuss recent economic developments, review progress on the implementation of reforms under SMP II, and discuss a follow-up SMP to consolidate reforms.

A new World Bank report recommends increased budgets for operations and maintenance for Timor-Leste’s public water supply sector, as well as the establishment of a national policy framework, in order to achieve the country’s national and international commitments by 2030.

The Commission presents its contribution to the informal discussion that Heads of State and Government will hold in Sofia on 16 May 2018 on research and innovation and the steps needed to ensure Europe's global competitiveness, on May 15.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) is highly critical of the Government’s proposal to extend significantly the tax assessment time limits indiscriminately in cases involving offshore matters. The Institute believes that the case for such a large and broadly applied increase has not been made and risks resulting in unfairness for taxpayers and perverse incentives toward the care taken with tax returns.

Senior officials and representatives from the Western Balkans have committed to improving gender equality by endorsing a communiqué on improving access to economic opportunities for women and girls during a World Bank workshop, held in Vienna, on May 14. The communique focuses on improving gender equality by promoting better access to jobs and assets and the ability of institutions to monitor progress on gender equality.

On May 4, 2018, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the 2018 Article IV consultation with The Bahamas, on a lapse of time basis.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged for a quick conclusion to a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement during a phone call Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The family-friendly policies introduced by Nordic countries over the past 50 years and associated increases in female employment have boosted growth in GDP per capita by between 10% and 20%, according to a new OECD report.

South Africa can achieve more inclusive and sustainable development with coordinated reforms across a broad range of areas that maximize development impact and address constraints to reduction in poverty and inequality, according to the World Bank Group’s new Systematic Country Diagnostic for South Africa, released on May 14.