Policy Papers
2009
May 29, 2009
Borrowing Agreement with Norges Bank
Description: This paper presents for the approval of the Executive Board a draft borrowing agreement between Norges Bank and the Fund. On March 28, the Finance Minister of Norway announced that the Ministry of Finance and Norges Bank (the central bank of Norway) were exploring a possible Norwegian contribution of up to 30 billion Norwegian kroner (about US$4.5 billion or SDR 3 billion) of financial resources to the IMF to support the Fund’s ability to provide timely and effective balance of payments assistance to its members in the current crisis. Staff and Norges Bank representatives have now reached agreement on a draft borrowing agreement, the text of which is set forth in the Attachment (“the Agreement”).
April 22, 2009
Progress Report on the Activities of the Independent Evaluation Office
Description: The recent developments in the world economy pose many questions regarding the role of the Fund in surveillance and crisis prevention. In view of this, the IEO will be launching an evaluation of how well the Fund performed in the run-up to this crisis. Launching of this study was discussed at a recent meeting of the Evaluation Committee of the Executive Board. Work on this study will start in the coming weeks, and a draft Issues Paper will be issued before the next IMFC meeting.
April 20, 2009
Provisional Agenda for the Nineteenth Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee
April 17, 2009
Update on the Financing of the Fund's Concessional Assistance and Debt Relief to Low-Income Member Countries
Description: This paper provides a semi-annual review of the status of financing for PRGF-ESF lending, subsidization of emergency assistance, and HIPC and MDRI debt relief. The last review was completed by the Executive Board on September 24, 2008. The paper does not address the G-20’s recent call for additional concessional resources, which is discussed in a separate paper.
April 17, 2009
An Overview of the Legal, Institutional, and Regulatory Framework for Bank Insolvency
Description: This study provides an overview of the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework that countries should put in place to address cases of bank insolvency. It is primarily intended to inform the work of the staffs of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, and to provide guidance to their member countries.
April 17, 2009
Statement by the Managing Director on the IMF's Crisis Response and Reform Agenda
Description: Crisis response to date. As the world economy has become engulfed in the worst crisis in many generations, the Fund has mobilized on many fronts to support its member countries. We have responded with prompt, large and flexible financial support where needed. Our monitoring, forecasts, and policy advice, informed by a global perspective and by experience from previous crises, have been in high demand. We have deployed a broad financial safety net, through an overhaul of our general lending framework that makes it better suited to members’ needs, and by garnering pledges for a massive increase in Fund resources. And we have contributed to the ongoing collective effort to draw lessons from the crisis for policy, regulation, and the global architecture.
April 14, 2009
Review of the Fund's Income Position for FY 2009 and FY 2010
Description:
This paper reviews the Fund’s income position for FY 2009 and FY 2010. The proposals build on previous discussions relating to implementation of the new income model, the framework for accumulating precautionary balances, and the recent reform of the Fund’s lending toolkit.
The paper is structured as follows: Section II reviews the income position for FY 2009 and explains the main changes from the projections at the midyear review; Section III makes proposals that pertain to the FY 2009 income position, including the disposition of investment income, the overall income position of the General Resources Account (GRA), and the annual reimbursement of the GRA for the expenses of conducting the business of the SDR Department and the MDRI-I Trust; Section IV reviews the FY 2010 income outlook, including the margin for the rate of charge; Section V reviews the burden sharing mechanism; and Section VI reviews special charges.
April 13, 2009
Modifications of the Fund's Conditionality Framework - Application to the Policy Support Instrument
Description: In connection with its recent review of the GRA Lending Toolkit and Conditionality—Reform Proposals, the Executive Board decided that the Fund would move to a review-based approach to monitor the implementation of structural reforms in the context of Fund-supported programs, including under PRGF or ESF arrangements.
April 10, 2009
Modification of Access Policies for the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and the Exogenous Shocks Facility
Description: The paper proposes a doubling of access limits on concessional lending to ensure that the Fund can respond effectively to the needs of low-income countries (LICs) severely affected by the current world economic downturn. Pending adoption of broader reforms to the LIC facilities architecture, higher access limits under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and Exogenous Shocks Facility-High-Access Component (ESF-HAC) would give the Fund greater flexibility in assisting LICs, which have become more exposed to global volatility over time. A doubling of access limits would restore them to their 1998 levels in percent of GDP and would be consistent with the approach taken in determining new access limits for General Resources Account (GRA) resources. It would also be in line with the projected doubling of medium-term demand for concessional resources.
April 9, 2009
Key Developments in IMF Policy Work--October 12, 2008-April 22, 2009
Description: This paper summarizes key developments in the Fund’s policy work since the 2008 Annual Meetings. Table 1 presents key conclusions of policy initiatives. Table 2 provides a progress report on implementation of the Fund’s surveillance priorities.