Belize

The macroeconomic outlook remains weak. Public debt remains elevated, at around 100 percent of GDP, despite a recent debt restructuring agreement with private external bondholders. Growth is projected at just under 2 percent over the medium term. The envisaged tightening of the fiscal stance reflected in the budget for FY2017/18, of 4 percentage points of GDP, is an important first step toward fiscal consolidation, but would not be sufficient to put public debt on a decisive downward trajectory. Withdrawal of Correspondent Banking Relationships (CBRs) and low capital buffers, particularly in a systemic bank, are key threats to financial stability.