02310cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF016043 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781513520209 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. European Dept. Greece : 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Greece. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2019. 1 online resource (83 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This 2019 Article IV Consultation with Greece discusses that public debt is projected to trend down over the next decade, though long-term sustainability is not assured under realistic macro-fiscal assumptions. Still-weak bank balance sheets act as a drag on growth prospects and pose significant fiscal and financial stability risks. These and other factors leave Greece vulnerable to a range of external and domestic shocks. Greece's prospects for improved living standards and economic convergence within the Euro Area (EA) depend on implementing a critical mass of inter-related fiscal, financial, and structural policy reforms. In order to achieve better growth and social outcomes, the fiscal policy mix should be improved, with more emphasis on investment and targeted social spending and lower direct taxes, backed by reforms in revenue administration and public financial management. Greece's success within the currency union critically hinges on narrowing its structural competitiveness gap. Policies should focus on productivity enhancement through improved labor market flexibility, more effective labor activation policies, stronger institutions, and business deregulation. Mode of access: Internet IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2019/340 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2019/340/002.2019.issue-340-en.xml IMF e-Library