international donor
community. This reform began with a 50% devaluation of Senegal's
currency, the CFA franc, which was linked at a fixed rate to the
French franc. Government price controls and subsidies have been
steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy contract by 2.1% in
1993, Senegal made an important turnaround, thanks to the reform
program, with real growth in GDP averaging over 5% annually during
1995-2006. Annual inflation had been pushed down to the low single
digits. As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union
(WAEMU), Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with
a unified external tariff and a more stable monetary policy. High
unemployment, however, continues to prompt illegal migrants to flee
Senegal in search of better job opportunities in Europe. Senegal was
also beset by an energy crisis that caused widespread blackouts in
2006. Senegal still relies heavily upon outside donor assistance.
Under the IMF's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief
program, Senegal will benefit from eradication of two-thirds of its
bilateral, multilateral, and private-sector debt.
Serbia
MILOSEVIC-era mismanagement of the economy, an extended
period of economic sanctions, and the damage to Yugoslavia's
infrastructure and industry during the NATO airstrikes in 1999 left
the economy only half the size it was in 1990. After the ousting of
former Federal Yugoslav President MILOSEVIC in October 2000, the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) coalition government
implemented stabilization measures and embarked on a market reform
program. After renewing its membership in the IMF in December 2000,
a down-sized Yugoslavia continued to reintegrate into the
international community by rejoining the World Bank (IBRD) and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). A World
Bank-European Commission sponsored Donors' Conference held in June
2001 raised $1.3 billion for economic restructuring. In November
2001, the Paris Club agreed to reschedule the country's $4.5 billion
public debt and wrote off 66% of the debt. In July 2004, the London
Club of private creditors forgave $1.7 billion of debt, just over
half the total owed. Belgrade has made only minimal progress in
restructuring and privatizing its holdings in major sectors of the
economy, including energy and telecommunications. It has made
halting progr
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