Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team, led by Mr. Lamin Leigh, visited Bangkok from March 7 – 20, 2018, to hold discussions on the 2018 Article IV Consultation with Thailand. The team exchanged views on recent economic developments and the outlook with officials in the government, the Bank of Thailand, other public institutions, and representatives of the private sector.

On March 28, 2018, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the third review of Mongolia’s performance under the program supported by a three-year extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

On March 12, 2018, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Myanmar.

Myanmar’s economy stabilized in 2016/17. The new government saw a challenging first year with lower-than-expected growth of 5.9 percent in 2016/17 mainly due to weak agriculture production and exports, and temporary suspension of some construction projects in Yangon.

A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Marshall Mills, Mission Chief for Madagascar, visited Antananarivo from March14–28, 2018 to hold discussions on the third review of Madagascar’s economic reform program supported by the IMF’s three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF).

The World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on March 28 released a new joint report titled, Rebuilding Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture in Somalia, outlining the challenges and opportunities for Somalia’s agriculture sector.

The OECD Working Group on Bribery has just completed a review of Switzerland's enforcement of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments.

A new report has found that Australia’s Seasonal Worker Program continues to deliver significant advantages, not just for Australian farmers, but for the workers, households, and com­munities of participating Pacific Island countries, yet outlines that more can be done to increase the benefits flowing through the region.

Tax revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) dipped in 2016, falling further behind average OECD country levels, but a recovery is likely in subsequent years, according to Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean 2018. The average tax-to-GDP ratio stood at 22.7% in 2016, a fall of 0.3 percentage points since 2015, the report says.

Indonesia maintained strong economic growth in 2017 and the outlook continues to be positive, according to the World Bank’s March 2018 Indonesia Economic Quarterly.