وتدهورت المالية العامة في المنطقة خلال عام 2002، مع هبوط الإيرادات بمعدلات تجاوزات انخفاض النفقات إلى الناتج المحلي الإجمالي للمنطقة.
Largely as a result of declining oil and non-tax revenues, weak tax revenue growth, and shrinking capital expenditures, public finances in the region deteriorated during 2002, with revenue falling at rates exceeding the decline in spending. Fiscal deficits and indebtedness continued to grow, with increasing ratios when deflated by the region's GDP.