June 9, 2016/IMF Executive Summary Government compensation and employment policies are important for the efficient delivery of public services which are crucial for the functioning of economies and the general prosperity of societies. On average, spending on the wage bill absorbs around one-fifth of total spending. Cross-country variation in wage […]

June 8, 2016 by iMFdirect By Martin Sommer, Juan Treviño, and Neil Hickey The significant and prolonged drop in oil prices since mid-2014 has changed the fortunes of many energy-exporting nations around the world. This applies particularly to countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, because these regions are […]

Wed Jun 8, 2016/Reuters Nigeria’s government will next week pump much of the 350 billion naira ($1.76 billion) earmarked for capital projects this quarter into Africa’s biggest economy, the budget minister said on Wednesday. The spending is part of efforts by the OPEC member to stimulate an economy that contracted […]