Theory suggests that there are delays and risks associated with the latter - getting the timing wrong may result in pro-cyclical polices and make a monetary policy orientated towards price stability more difficult. In the medium term, fiscal policies can best contribute to sustaining non-inflationary growth by pressing ahead with fiscal consolidation. Ultimately, over the economic cycles, growth will reflect conditions on the supply side of the economy. It is therefore microeconomic, and not macroeconomic, policies that can promote the supply of labour and capital and their efficient allocation, further innovation and the diffusion of new technologies, and as a result, mitigate problems such as structural unemployment. Structural reforms in the labour and goods markets are a key element of any long-term strategy to improve investment, growth and employment prospects. First, more flexible markets increase the speed with which countries can adapt to economic shocks, thereby speeding up economic recovery. Second, increased competition in labour and product markets is conducive to a high level of innovation and the rapid spread of technological progress. This in turn supports long-term growth, without contributing to inflationary tendencies. Third, structural reform may facilitate the transmission of monetary policy. In more rigid economies, interest rate changes are transmitted to prices after a longer delay, and structural barriers can prevent the economic efficiency gains of the primary objective of monetary policy - price stability - from being fully realised.
Also, the series of corporate failures in 2001-02 revealed weaknesses in corporate governance practices, including accounting and audit rules, which are currently being addressed by the US authorities. Latin America Over the last two years, growth in most Latin American countries has been weak. This year, however, there are signs of a modest upturn, with confidence slowly returning. This has been due, in part, to the direction of the structural reform agendas of many countries in the region. To strengthen the foundations for growth, policy-makers must remain committed to implementing structural reforms. Countries that have made the greatest strides in reform are already reaping the benefits. Both Mexico and Chile, which are at the most advanced stage of reform in the region, have proven remarkably resilient to turmoil in regional economies and have weathered the period of weak global growth well, considering their exposure to sluggish mature economies. Other countries in the region have embarked on reform agendas and should be encouraged by the international community to see them through as swiftly as conditions allow. East Asia As for the crisis-hit countries in Asia, economic performance has been positively correlated with progress in reforms. Stronger average growth potential in countries such as Korea and Malaysia reflects partly the authorities' determination in pushing through corporate reforms, reforming the financial sector and strengthening insolvency laws. In China, the authorities have repeatedly emphasised that banking reform, if coupled with the restructuring and privatisation of state-owned enterprises, is key to strong growth and financial stability in the medium term.