IMPLEMENTATION OF 

CERTAIN LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS 

RELATING TO THE 

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND 

A Report to Congress 

in accordance with 

Section 1503 of the 

International Financial Institutions Act, and 

Section 801(c)(1)(B) of the 

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 2001, as required by Section 1705(a) of the International Financial 

Institutions Act 

and 

Section 605(d) of the 

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 1999 

United States Department of the Treasury 

March 2013
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Table of Contents 

Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 

International Financial Institutions Act, Section 1503(a) Provisions, by Subsection 

1. Exchange Rate Stability ................................................................................................ 2 

2. Independent Monetary Authority, Internal Competition, Privatization, 

 Deregulation, Social Safety Nets, Trade Liberalization ................................................4 

3. Strengthened Financial Systems ....................................................................................7

4. Bankruptcy Laws and Regulations ..............................................................................10 

5. Private Sector Involvement ..........................................................................................10

6. Good Governance ........................................................................................................14

7. Channeling Public Funds Toward Productive Purposes ..............................................16

8. Individual Economic Prescriptions ..............................................................................17

9. Core Labor Standards ..................................................................................................17

10. Discouraging Ethnic and Social Strife......................................................................... 17

11. Environmental Protection ............................................................................................18

12. Greater Transparency ...................................................................................................18

13. Evaluation ....................................................................................................................19

14. Microenterprise Lending ..............................................................................................19

15. Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism..........................20

Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2001, Section 

801(c)(1)(B) Provisions, by Subsection 

I. Suspension of Financing for Diversion of Funds ................................................... .....21 

II. IMF Financing as Catalyst for Private Sector Financing .......................................... ...21

III. Conditions for Disbursement .......................................................................................21 

IV. Trade Liberalization .....................................................................................................22 

V. Focus on Short-Term Balance of Payments Financing .................................................22 

VI. Progress toward Graduation from Concessionary Financing ......................................23 

Text of Legislative Provisions 

Annex 1: New IMF lending arrangements, per section 605(d) of the Foreign Operations, Export 

Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1999 
2

Introduction 

The report reviews actions taken by the United States to promote legislative provisions in 

International Monetary Fund (IMF or the Fund) country programs. This report is prepared in 

accordance with Section 1705(a) of the International Financial Institutions Act (IFI Act”.

1

 

Annex 1 also covers new IMF lending arrangements per section 605(d) of the Foreign 

Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1999. Earlier reports 

pursuant to these provisions are available on the Department of the Treasury’s website: 

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/international/int-monetary-fund/Pages/imf.aspx

Treasury and the Office of the United States Executive Director (USED) at the IMF consistently 

endeavor to build support in the IMF’s Executive Board for the objectives set by this legislation 

and other legislative mandates. These endeavors include meetings with IMF staff and other 

Board members on country programs and IMF policies, formal statements by the USED in the 

IMF Board, and USED votes in the Board. Treasury’s objective is to support strengthened 

commitments to IMF programs, policy actions by program countries, and policy decisions at the 

IMF itself. Treasury’s IMF task force is charged with increasing awareness among Treasury 

staff about legislative mandates and identifying opportunities to influence IMF decisions in line 

with broader U.S. international economic policy objectives. 

This report is submitted in the context of the international response to the global financial and 

economic crisis that began in 2007 and, more recently, the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. The 

United States has been a leader throughout this period through its own economic policies, and 

has collaborated closely with the Group of 20 countries (G-20) and the international financial 

institutions, including the IMF. Over this period, the IMF has acted swiftly to play a key role in 

crisis response. The IMF continues to address remaining vulnerabilities in the global economy –

for instance, by providing financing, in partnership with the European Union, for distressed euro 

area members. At the most recent G-20 leaders’ summit in Los Cabos, Mexico in June 2012, 

members called on the IMF to provide stronger surveillance over members’ economies, 

including with regard to exchange rate misalignments, global liquidity, and capital flows, in 

order to facilitate global, domestic and financial stability, including spillovers from countries’ 

policies. Members also reaffirmed their commitment to implement the 2010 quota and 

governance reform, which will enhance the IMF’s legitimacy, relevance, and effectiveness and 

enable the U.S. to continue to preserve its veto power and leadership position without making 

new financial commitments to the IMF. 

 

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Section 1705(a), as codified at 22 U.S.C. § 262r-4(a), requires the Secretary of the Treasury to submit a report on 

the progress made to adopt the policies and reforms described in section 1503 of the IFI Act (22 U.S.C. 262o-2(a)) 

as well as the policies set forth in section 801(c)(1)(B) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related 

Programs Appropriations Act, 2001.
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Report on specific provisions 

I. Section 1503(a) 

(1) Exchange rate stability 

In June 2007, the IMF Executive Board adopted a new Decision on Bilateral Surveillance over 

Members’ Policies (“Decision”), replacing the 1977 Decision on Surveillance over Exchange 

Rate Policies as the guiding document on surveillance. The new decision was strongly backed 

by the United States in an effort to refocus the Fund on its core mandate, as established in Article 

IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, “to promote exchange stability, to maintain orderly 

exchange arrangements among members, and to avoid competitive exchange depreciation.” 

Since the 2007 Decision, IMF surveillance of exchange rates has improved in both breadth and 

quality, though staff The IMF’s Independent Evaluation Office found that only 63 percent of 

Article IV reports from 1995-2005 included a clear assessment of the exchange rate’s value in 

relation to economic fundamentals.2 In contrast, both the 2008 and 2011 Triennial Surveillance 

Reviews found that over 90 percent had done so after the Decision.3 Selected Issues papers

accompanying Article IV staff reports have been increasingly devoted to exchange rate issues. 

The sophistication of exchange rate assessments has improved as econometric assessments of the 

exchange rate’s equilibrium value have become more common. In July 2012, the IMF adopted 

the Integrated Surveillance Decision, which updates the June 2007 legal framework to reflect the 

already existing increased focus by the IMF on multilateral surveillance, while retaining all of 

the critical elements in exchange rate surveillance from the 2007 Decision. 

The United States continues to advocate for further improvements to the IMF’s surveillance over 

exchange rates. In 2012, with strong U.S. support, the IMF produced a pilot External Sector 

Report (ESR), which represents a substantial enhancement to the IMF’s work on external 

analysis, as it includes much greater in-depth coverage of IMF exchange rate assessments, as 

well as assessments of reserves, drivers of current account imbalances, and capital flows and 

measures. Treasury has pressed for increased candor, transparency, and evenhandedness of IMF 

exchange rate surveillance as part of the G-20 agenda. In particular, we continue to advocate that 

Fund staff take tougher ultimate judgments on members’ exchange rate management practices.

The United States has been engaged in a careful multilateral effort in the G-20, supported by the 

IMF, to establish stronger norms for exchange rate policy and to identify and mitigate sources of 

future economic imbalances.

The Framework for Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth agreed to at the Pittsburgh G-20 

Summit calls on the IMF to play a key advisory role in the G-20 mutual assessment process 

(MAP). Through the MAP, the IMF develops a forward-looking analysis of whether policies

pursued by individual G-20 countries, including exchange rate policies, are collectively 

 

2

Independent Evaluation Office of the International Monetary Fund, “An IEO Evaluation of IMF Exchange Rate 

Policy Advice, 1999-2005,” 2007.

3

International Monetary Fund, “2008 Triennial Surveillance Report – Overview Paper,” September 2, 2008 and 

“2011 Triennial Surveillance Review – Staff Background Studies,” August 29, 2011. 
4

consistent with more sustainable and balanced trajectories for the global economy. The IMF 

reports regularly on its analysis to both G-20 Finance Ministers and the International Monetary 

and Financial Committee (IMFC). The IMF carried out such an assessment ahead of the June 

2012 G-20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. Its recommendations included greater exchange rate 

flexibility and rebalancing in key emerging market economies and addressing high 

unemployment in advanced economies, and served as an input to the Los Cabos Action Plan for 

Growth and Jobs agreed upon by Leaders. 

At the February 2013 G-20 Finance Ministerial in Moscow members reiterated their 

commitments to move more rapidly toward more market-determined exchange rate systems and 

exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying fundamentals. Members agreed to not target 

exchange rates for competitive purposes. 

The U.S. encourages the IMF to support exchange rate flexibility in IMF board statements, 

including the following examples:

 In a March 2012 board statement on Haiti’s Article IV staff report, the USED urged the 

authorities to deepen financial markets and improve exchange rate flexibility to provide 

Haiti with better liquidity management and additional monetary policy flexibility. The 

USED also noted that these measures would help to address dollarization risks, and 

applauded the authorities plan to establish unconstrained single price foreign exchange 

auctions later in 2012. 

 In a July 2012 board statement for the fifth review of Djibouti’s Extended Credit Facility, 

the USED urged the authorities to closely safeguard the county’s currency board reserves 

to maintain the credibility of its exchange rate regime.

 In a February 2012 board statement on Malaysia’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

underscored the importance of structural reforms to support Malaysia’s adjustment to 

changing economic dynamics to provide the authorities greater room for currency 

adjustment. 

 In a July 2012 board statement on the seventh review of Sri Lanka’s Stand-by 

Arrangement the USED commended the authorities for their implementation of a more 

flexible exchange rate regime. Sri Lanka introduced the new exchange rate regime in 

February 2012. 

 In an August 2012 board statement on Jordan’s Stand-by Arrangement, the USED noted 

staff’s assessment that the exchange rate peg has served the country well and should be 

maintained. 

(2) Policies to increase the effectiveness of the IMF in promoting market-oriented reform, 

trade liberalization, economic growth, democratic governance, and social stability through: 

(A) Establishment of an independent monetary authority 
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With the support of the United States, the IMF has been a consistent advocate of greater 

independence of monetary authorities across a range of countries. IMF conditionality frequently 

includes measures to strengthen central bank autonomy and accountability. The IMF also 

provides technical assistance to help countries achieve these goals. In addition, the Fund 

promotes these objectives through assessments of compliance with internationally-agreed upon 

standards and codes, as well as rules for safeguarding the use of IMF resources. Examples of 

United States activities with regard to these issues include the following: 

 In a June 2012 board statement for Ukraine’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

encouraged the central bank to increase exchange rate flexibility and focus on 

maintaining price stability. 

 In an April 2012 board statement on Bangladesh’s Extended Credit Facility, the USED 

urged the authorities to improve central bank independence and to reform its operations, 

especially its supervisory mandate. 

 In a November 2011 board statement on Turkey’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

expressed concern that the authorities’ monetary policy framework is becoming 

overburdened and should return to a focus on inflation. 

 In a January 2012 board statement in Hungary’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

emphasized that it is important for Hungary to make clear its commitment to central bank 

independence.

(B) Fair and open internal competition among domestic enterprises 

Although the World Bank has the lead mandate on these issues, the IMF, with United States’

support, encourages member countries to pursue policies that improve internal economic 

efficiency. These measures may include ending directed lending (or other relationships between 

government and businesses based on favoritism), improving antitrust enforcement, and 

establishing a sound and transparent legal system. The U.S. has advocated the following in 

support of fair and open internal competition: 

 In a January 2012 board statement for Iceland’s fourth review under a Stand-by 

Arrangement, the USED urged swift action to harmonize the capital requirements of the 

Housing Finance Fund, an independent government mortgage lending institution, with 

those of other financial institutions to promote a level playing field among mortgage 

lenders.

 In a May 2012 board statement on the UAE’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

emphasized the importance of mitigating risks from government-related entities (GREs) 

and took note of staff’s caution against allowing “non-viable” GREs to secure funding 

from domestic banks if foreign financing diminishes. 

(C) Privatization 
6

The IMF has made privatization a component of those member country programs where the 

country’s significant distortions and government ownership of business enterprises have created 

substantial inefficiencies in the allocation of resources and the production of goods. 

Collaborating with the World Bank, the Fund has supported the use of competitive and 

transparent means of privatization so that program countries might achieve gains in economic 

efficiency and improve their fiscal positions. Examples of IMF program and surveillance 

discussions in which the USED has advocated privatization include the following: 

 In a February 2012 board statement on Malaysia’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

supported the Malaysian Government’s efforts to divest from state-owned enterprises as 

well as to reduce support for and protection of SOEs to complement deficit reduction 

efforts. 

 In a July 2012 fourth review of Tanzania’s program under the Policy Support Instrument, 

the USED urged the authorities to continue structural reforms, including privatization and 

improving the business climate.

(D) Economic deregulation and strong legal frameworks 

Markets are distorted and entrepreneurship is stifled without strong property rights, enforcement 

of contracts, and fair and open competition. While these issues are often addressed as part of the 

World Bank’s mandate, the IMF frequently includes such policy advice in its programs or 

surveillance on measures considered critical to the member country’s macroeconomic 

performance. Examples of United States’ efforts to encourage these reforms include the 

following: 

 In a November 2012 board statement, the USED commended IMF staff for asking for a 

more balanced approach to outlining the benefits and risks of capital account 

liberalization, and stressed that while full liberalization may not be an appropriate goal 

for all countries at all times, greater openness to capital flows is a worthy long-term goal 

and a key aspect of long-term development. 

 In a July 2012 discussion of Angola’s Article IV staff report and Post-Program 

Monitoring report, the USED noted the importance of deepening the structural reform 

agenda and creating a supportive environment for private sector led growth.

(E) Social safety nets 

While growth is an essential ingredient for poverty reduction, investment in human development 

and basic social services is also critical. Cost effective social safety nets can play an important 

role in building domestic support for economic reform, and in alleviating the direct impact of 

economic downturns. 

The IMF does not lend directly for budget support to build social safety nets. The Fund’s policy 

advice and its focus on macroeconomic stability, however, encourage domestic policymakers to 

develop fiscal strategies that address the needs of the poor within a fiscal framework that is 
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sustainable over the long-term. Reducing generalized subsidies while protecting pro-poor

spending, for example, is a common theme. In the poorest countries, IMF advice is developed 

within a country-specific poverty reduction strategy that encourages accountability between 

donors and recipients. 

The United States has strongly pushed the IMF to ensure that programs promote spending to 

reduce poverty. On average, countries with IMF programs increase spending for education by 

about 0.8 percentage points of GDP and for health by about 1 percentage point of GDP over a 

five-year period.4

In addition, debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative is part of a 

larger effort to address low-income countries’ development needs. Before the HIPC Initiative, 

eligible countries were spending slightly more, on average, on debt service than on health and 

education combined. However, following HIPC debt relief, countries have been able to increase 

spending on health and education to about five times the amount of debt-service payments, on 

average. For HIPCs, pursuant to a legislative mandate,5Treasury carefully evaluates whether the 

IMF program allows for an increase in health and education expenditures. The USED’s board 

statements in discussions of HIPC country programs stress the importance of protecting health 

and education expenditures, as well as other poverty reduction and social safety net spending: 

 In a March 2012 board statement on Haiti’s Article IV staff report, the USED urged the 

authorities to maintain a floor on poverty-related spending the USED also noted that in 

the near term, additional revenue generation would ensure fiscal space to address 

poverty-related and other priority spending. 

 In a September 2012 discussion of Sudan’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted the 

importance of abiding by the government’s commitment to safeguarding social 

expenditures for the 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line. 

(F) Opening of markets for agricultural goods through reductions in trade barriers 

The IMF encourages a multilateral, rules-based approach to trade liberalization across all sectors 

of the global economy, including, but not limited to, the agricultural sector. The IMF has played 

a supportive role in promoting trade liberalization, particularly in the context of the WTO trade 

negotiations. The IMF is prepared, along with the World Bank, to provide transitional assistance 

to member countries experiencing payment imbalances arising from the passage of trade reform. 

In recent years, the IMF has stepped up its in-depth trade policy work in consultations with 

 

4

IMF Discussion Note, What Happens to Social Spending in IMF-Supported Programs? August 31, 2011.

5

IMF Programs and Exemptions for Health/Education/Agriculture and Food Security in HIPCs.

[annual law]. (P.L. 111-32 section 1403(d), Supplemental Appropriations, 2009, signed

6/24/09; most recent: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (signed 12/23111), P.L. 112-74, Division I, Foreign 

Operations, section 7029(c). This legislation requires that the Secretary of the Treasury instruct the USED at the 

IMF to use the voice and vote of the United States to oppose (abstain or vote NO) any loan, project, agreement, 

memorandum, instrument, plan, or other program of the IMF to a Heavily Indebted Poor Country that imposes 

budget caps or restraints that do not allow the maintenance of or an increase in governmental spending on health 

care or education; and to promote government spending on health care, education, agriculture and food security, or 

other critical safety net programs in all of the Fund's activities with respect to Heavily Indebted Poor Countries.
8

currency unions that are potentially impacted by trade liberalization, such as the Monetary and 

Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and West African Economic and Monetary 

Union (WAEMU), as well as for some other African and Western Hemisphere groupings. 

(3) Strengthened financial systems and adoption of sound banking principles and practices 

The joint IMF-World Bank Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) has emerged as a 

critical instrument for financial sector surveillance and advice. FSAPs are used to generate 

assessments of compliance with key financial sector standards such as the Basel Committee’s 

Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision, the International Organization of Securities 

Commission’s Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation, and the IMF’s own Code of 

Good Practices on Transparency in Monetary and Financial Policies. The FSAP assessment 

results are summarized in Financial System Stability Assessments (FSSA), which are often 

provided to the public. 

The U.S. agreed to conduct an FSAP with the IMF in 2006. After allowing for some time for 

U.S. regulators to continue their work on implementation of Basel II capital standards, the IMF’s 

FSAP mission team began its work on the U.S. FSAP in 2009 and issued its report on July 30, 

2010. In the FSSA, IMF staff provided the key findings of their assessment of the United States. 

The OUSED requested that the IMF publish all documents related to the U.S. FSAP that can be 

published under the IMF’s rules. Accordingly, in addition to the FSSA, the IMF published seven 

Reports on Standards and Codes (ROSCs); seven Detailed Assessment Reports (DARs) on 

banking, securities, insurance, and clearing and settlement systems; and, eight technical notes on 

stress testing, consolidated supervision, OTC derivatives, crisis management, liquidity risk 

management, oversight of payments, Basel II implementation, and anti-money laundering and 

combating the financing of terrorism. The United States has since made progress on all of the 

U.S. FSAP recommendations.

FSAPs and ROSCs also play an important role in the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) newlyestablished peer review surveillance process to assess countries’ progress in strengthening their 

financial systems. The FSB, which was formed in 2009, uses FSAPs and ROSCs as the basis for 

its assessments. 

In September 2010, the USED supported the adoption of IMF management’s proposal to make 

financial stability assessments under the FSAP a regular and mandatory part of bilateral 

surveillance under Article IV of the Fund’s Articles of Agreement for 25 jurisdictions with 

systemically important financial sectors, including the United States. This decision will increase 

the coverage of financial stability issues in the Fund’s bilateral surveillance of its members with 

the largest and most interconnected financial sectors, while also preserving access to the FSAP 

on a voluntary basis for the rest of the membership. To date, five countries have released their 

FSSAs in 2013 and fifteen released FSSAs in 2012. These financial stability assessments will 

take place on a five-year cycle. 

In the context of a December 2009 Review of the Fund’s Transparency Policy, the USED noted 

the importance of enhanced transparency for improving the effectiveness of Fund advice, the 

quality of surveillance, and the Fund’s legitimacy. The USED expressed strong support for a 
9

proposal to shift to the publication of ROSCs on a non-objection basis, and urged members not 

presently publishing their staff reports to consider the benefits of greater transparency. The 

United States strongly supports this increased transparency, and, as a demonstration of our 

commitment, became the first country to request the early publication of its DARS well before 

the Board discussion. 

The IMF also conducts financial sector surveillance through a semi-annual Early Warning 

Exercise (EWE) and Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR). The EWE is prepared jointly by 

the IMF and the FSB; and, the GFSR is produced by the IMF’s Monetary and Capital Markets 

Division. In November 2008, G-20 Leaders called on the IMF and FSB to undertake EWEs. 

The EWE is intended to identify the most relevant tail risks to the global economy or major 

regions, to demonstrate how the possible emergence of these risks could be recognized, and to 

specify the policy changes that would need to be implemented if they were to materialize. The 

analysis is based on consultations with policymakers, outside experts, Article IV and FSAP 

findings, and internal IMF models. 

The Standards and Codes Initiative, which was launched in 1999 to strengthen the international 

financial architecture, underwent a regular five-year review by the IMF and World Bank in early 

2011. The review paid particular attention to the need to adapt the Initiative in light of the recent 

crisis. The USED has welcomed the IMF’s active participation in the FSB process to reassess 

the existing set of standards and has expressed support for the proposals put forth by the 

Standing Committee on Standards Implementation (SCSI) Working Group to the FSB Plenary 

regarding the key standards. 

Following the G-20 Finance Ministerial in April of 2009, the FSB and the IMF formed a 

working group to explore information gaps and provide appropriate proposals for strengthening 

financial sector data collection, and report back to the Finance Ministers and Central Bank 

Governors. In October 2009, the Working Group submitted this report to the Finance Ministers 

and Central Bank Governors, which included a list of recommendations to fill existing 

information gaps. The Working Group continues to provide regular progress updates.

Some key examples of where the USED has supported the strengthening of financial systems

include the following: 

 In a July 2012 board discussion on Japan’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted its 

agreement with the recommendations in the FSSA, and stressed the following highpriority areas for reforms: more intense monitoring of SIFIs, including 

financial/sovereign stability linkages; assessment of the adequacy of the FSA’s regulatory 

mandate and supervisory skills and resources; and, improvements to the resolution 

regime of SIFIs.

 In a May 2012 board statement on Switzerland’s Article IV staff report, the USED agreed 

with IMF staff that Switzerland’s two major banks pose risks to the Swiss economy, 

given their size relative to GDP, international exposure, dependence on wholesale 

funding, and relatively high use of leverage. The USED stressed that the banks should 
10

make significant efforts to raise capital standards well before the country’s new capital 

regulations are fully phased in, in 2019.

 In a September 2012 discussion of Zimbabwe’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

welcomed steps taken to address financial sector weaknesses but raised concerns about 

underreporting of non-performing loans and the unintended effects of setting too high a 

minimum capitalization requirement.

 In a March 2012 board statement on Israel’s Article IV staff report and FSSA, the USED 

expressed pleasure that the country’s FSAP update found the financial system to be 

resilient in the face of potential shocks, but expressed concern over market concentration 

both at banks and their largest clients.

(4) Internationally acceptable domestic bankruptcy laws and regulations 

While the World Bank normally leads reviews of domestic insolvency laws, the IMF actively 

supports this agenda. The UN Commission on International Trade Law (“UNCITRAL”) and the 

World Bank have worked to compile recommendations in this area covering, respectively, 

insolvency law and sound insolvency/creditor rights regimes. At the urging of the United States, 

staff from the World Bank, IMF, and UNCITRAL worked together to develop a standardized, 

unified assessment methodology to assess implementation of those recommendations. 

 

The international financial institutions provide technical assistance to help emerging market 

economies develop efficient insolvency regimes. The IMF and the World Bank have supported 

adoption of the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency developed by the UN to facilitate the 

resolution of increasingly complex cases of insolvency where companies have assets in several 

jurisdictions. With the support of the United States, the IMF has worked with the World Bank to 

promote improved insolvency regimes in a number of countries. 

(5) Private sector involvement 

The United States continues to work to ensure that the private sector plays an appropriate role in 

the resolution of financial crises. Over the past several years, the IMF, with the support of the 

United States, has taken important steps towards strengthening crisis prevention and resolution. 

The IMF has strengthened its surveillance of member countries and instilled more discipline in 

the use of official sector financing, especially through the establishment of rules and procedures 

governing exceptional access to Fund resources. Additionally, the use of collective action 

clauses, supported by the IMF as an accepted contractual, market-based approach to sovereign 

debt restructurings, should help a sovereign restructure its debt when under financial distress. 

The IMF recognizes the need to preserve the fundamental principles that: (a) creditors should 

bear the consequences of the risks they assume; and (b) debtors should honor their obligations. 

Furthermore, the IMF has coordinated closely with other international financial institutions and 

relevant country regulatory authorities. The United States continues to advocate policies that 

promote investor confidence. In 2012, we supported a program for Greece that involved the 

private sector in debt restructuring. 
11

 As part of Greece’s 2012 EU/IMF program it undertook a private debt restructuring, 

which attracted high participation, to improve debt sustainability. Bondholders were 

invited to exchange their bonds for new bonds with a face value equal to 31.5 percent of 

the original amount and short-term EFSF notes worth 15 percent of the original amount. 

Interest on the new bonds will be paid annually and principal payments will be made in 

equal installments over 20 years after a 10-year grace period. Of the $234 billion in 

eligible Greek-law bonds, 85.8 percent participated, and the authorities decided to 

activate collective action procedures, pulling in remaining hold outs. Overall, 

approximately $258 billion in debt was subject to the exchange, and debt owed to the 

private sector was halved according to estimates. 

(A) Increased crisis prevention through improved surveillance and debt and reserve 

management 

The United States has urged the IMF to further strengthen its surveillance function and crisis 

prevention capabilities. The United States, along with other G-20 members, reaffirmed the 

central role of the IMF as a critical forum for multilateral consultation and cooperation on 

monetary and financial issues as well as in promoting international financial and monetary 

stability. In November 2008, G-20 Leaders called on the IMF, in collaboration with the 

expanded FSF and other bodies, to work to better identify vulnerabilities, anticipate potential 

stresses, and act swiftly to play a key role in crisis response. They also called on the IMF, given 

its universal membership and core macro-financial expertise, to take a leading role in drawing 

lessons from the current crisis, consistent with its mandate and in close coordination with the 

FSB and others. G-20 Leaders agreed that the IMF should conduct vigorous and even-handed 

surveillance reviews of all countries, as well as give greater attention to their financial sectors 

and better integrate the reviews with the joint IMF/World Bank financial sector assessment 

programs. The IMF decided to make financial stability assessment under the FSAP a regular and 

mandatory part of Article IV consultations for members with systemically important financial 

sectors. At the IMF’s Triennial Surveillance Review in September 2011, the United States 

Executive Director called on the IMF to improve its external stability assessments; better 

integrate bilateral and multilateral surveillance; streamline its growing number of surveillance 

products; place a greater emphasis on risk in its surveillance; and further integrate financial 

sector surveillance into existing bilateral and multilateral surveillance.

The United States has joined with other G-20 members in calling on the IMF to play a key role 

in the mutual assessment process (MAP) under the Framework for Strong, Sustainable, and 

Balanced Growth. Through the MAP, the IMF develops a forward-looking analysis of whether 

policies pursued by G-20 countries are collectively consistent with sustainable and balanced 

trajectories for the global economy. In addition, the United States has worked consistently to 

promote global rebalancing, and the IMF has increased its attention to this issue. For economies 

running large current account surpluses, the USED has regularly called for stronger and 

sustainable domestic demand. 

As part of the overhaul of its non-concessional lending framework in early 2009, the IMF created 

the Flexible Credit Line (FCL) to make it easier for the IMF’s strongest-performing member 
12

countries to access resources rapidly to prevent the spread of a crisis. In 2010, the IMF modified 

this instrument to make more funds available for a longer period of time. In 2010, the IMF 

created the Precautionary Credit Line (PCL), which provided a more limited crisis prevention 

line of credit to members with sound fundamentals, policies, and institutional policy frameworks 

but moderate vulnerabilities that would not meet the FCL’s strong qualification standard. In 

November 2011, the PCL was broadened to allow countries with sound policies to draw 

immediately upon approval to meet actual financing needs. It is now called the Precautionary 

and Liquidity line (PLL). The IMF also streamlined existing instruments for emergency 

assistance by forming the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI), which addresses urgent balance of 

payments needs specifically from post-conflict and natural disaster situations. Combined with 

responsive policy actions by country authorities, these instruments can help to support a 

reduction in risk perception and contribute to stabilizing financial market conditions. 

 In the December 2011 Board statement for Canada’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

encouraged staff to study the spillover effects of safe haven and other capital inflows on 

Canadian asset prices and financial stability. The USED expressed concern that low longterm yields in Canada may have been pushing capital toward relatively unproductive 

areas, such as real estate. 

(B) Strengthening of emerging markets' financial systems 

The IMF continues to work with other IFIs to promote stronger financial systems in emerging 

market economies (also see Section 3). The IMF is actively involved with the World Bank in 

monitoring the implementation of the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision. 

The IMF, with U.S. support, has increased its cooperation with the World Bank in this area, 

through the joint FSAP and in assessing countries’ observance of other standards and codes. The 

Fund also provides technical assistance to low- and lower-middle-income countries in the area of 

financial sector sustainability. Countries have asked for Fund assistance to address weaknesses 

identified in FSAPs, to adopt and adhere to international standards and codes, implement 

recommendations from off-shore financial center assessments, and strengthen measures to 

combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

In 2012, the G-20 authorities moved ahead with the October 2011 action plan to support the 

development of local currency bond markets (LCBMs), particularly in emerging market and 

developing countries. The action plan aims to bolster the role that LCBMs play in domestic and 

global financial stability, helping to expand the range of financial instruments available to 

manage volatile short-term flows. It entails (1) scaling up technical assistance – from the IMF 

and other international organizations – to emerging market and developing economies; (2) 

improving the breadth and transparency of available data, a precondition for efficient market 

functioning, building on work carried out by the IMF; and, (3) joint annual progress reports to 

the G-20 from the IMF and other international organizations. In accordance with the plan, the 

International Organizations (IOs) provided the first progress report on implementation at the 

November 2012 meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors, outlining the 

agreed division of labor and path forward for each of these efforts. At the November 2012 

meeting, the authorities also highlighted the importance to both emerging and advanced 
13

economies of long-term financing for infrastructure investment and tasked the IOs with assessing

impediments to its availability.

Some key examples of where the USED has supported a strengthening of emerging market 

financial systems are the following: 

 In October 2012, the U.S. Board statement on Antigua and Barbuda indicated that we 

appreciate the work that staff and the authorities have done on the Eastern Caribbean 

Currency Union (ECCU) Financial Action Task Force to develop a plan to strengthen the 

broader ECCU financial system. We noted that two recent bank failures in the past three 

years in the country clearly point to the need for improved financial supervision. We 

agreed with staff’s recommendations for financial sector reforms, including increased 

frequency of on-site examinations; improved enforcement ability of supervisors; 

development of a more consolidated approach to supervision; and further domestic bank 

consolidation. 

 In a February 2012 board statement on Panama’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted 

the country’s strong regulatory framework, as described in the accompanying FSAP. 

However, given the lack of a central bank to serve as lender of last resort, the USED 

urged the authorities to continue to develop a liquidity backstop that matches the size and 

importance of the financial sector. 

 In a July 2012 board statement on China’s Article IV staff report, the USED encouraged 

continued reforms to liberalize interest rates to more accurately reflect market conditions; 

improve the allocation of capital; and, to increase household incomes and consumption 

demand, promoting rebalancing in China’s economy. The USED also encouraged IMF 

staff and Chinese authorities to consider the potential impacts of off-balance sheet 

lending and non-bank intermediation on the health of the formal banking system, to 

include estimates of these activities in the staff report in the future. 

 In a March 2012 board statement on India’s Article IV staff report, the USED encouraged 

Indian authorities to address high priority recommendations in India’s Financial System 

Stability Assessment (FSSA). The USED also urged the Indian authorities to publish the 

FSSA along with the detailed assessment reports (DARs), which would support a 

commitment made by all members of the Financial Stability Board. 

 In an April 2012 board statement on Thailand’s article IV staff report, the USED 

emphasized the importance of a diversified, well-regulated financial services sector to 

address the economic issues arising from Thailand’s demographic changes, encouraging 

the further development of local capital markets, including pension and insurance sectors. 

 In a May 2012 board statement on Vietnam’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted the 

importance of improving standards of bank supervision, particularly with respect to the 

classification of non-performing loans, to promote financial sector stability. 
14

 In a November 2011 board statement on Turkey’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

expressed concern over the increase in banks’ short term external debt. The USED 

highlighted that, while bank balance sheets remain healthy and there is no evidence that 

external creditors are unwilling to roll-over short-term debt, an external liquidity shock 

could add significant pressure and push the economy towards a hard landing. 

(C) Strengthened crisis resolution mechanisms 

The IMF’s actions since the outset of the global financial crisis began have stabilized markets 

and boosted confidence, winning broad support and underscoring the Fund’s central role in crisis 

response. A critical component of the response was ensuring that the IMF has adequate 

resources to address the needs of members hard hit by the global crisis. 

To this end, the G-20 and IMF membership delivered on commitments to renew and expand the 

IMF’s New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) by over $500 billion to backstop the IMF. The IMF 

also took action in 2009 to supplement members’ reserves and boost global liquidity through 

allocations of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equivalent to $283 billion. More recently, IMF 

members agreed to a doubling of total quotas (with a corresponding rollback of the NAB) to

restore the primacy of the Fund’s quota-based financial structure and realign relative quota 

shares to better reflect global economic realities, while ensuring the Fund has adequate resources 

to play its central role in promoting global financial stability. 

The United States, in cooperation with the IMF and the broader international financial 

community, promoted a strengthened framework for crisis resolution by overhauling the IMF’s 

non-concessional lending framework in early 2009. As noted above, the United States supported 

the creation and enhancement of the FCL and PCL in 2010 and the creation of the PLL and RCF

in 2011. These facilities enhance the Fund’s toolkit to help its members prevent financial crises 

and respond to external vulnerabilities and risks that threaten macroeconomic stability. 

The United States has been a strong advocate for enhanced IMF support for low-income 

countries. In 2009, the IMF approved a package of extraordinary measures to sharply increase 

the resources available to low-income countries (LICs), more than doubling the Fund’s mediumterm concessional lending capacity to $17 billion. These reforms allowed the Fund to 

dramatically expand its lending capacity during the crisis, with new Fund commitments for LICs 

totaling roughly $6.8 billion, or five times the historical average, since the beginning of 2009. In 

addition, in 2010, the IMF created the Post-Catastrophe Debt Relief (PCDR) Trust to provide 

debt relief for very poor countries hit by the most catastrophic of natural disasters. The PCDR 

financed the elimination of Haiti’s entire debt stock to the IMF (about $268 million) following 

the 2010 earthquake. In 2012, with strong U.S. leadership, the IMF Board agreed to use all $3.8 

billion of its windfall gold sales profits to support LICs through the Poverty Reduction and 

Growth Trust. Treasury also strongly supported the IMF Board’s decision to reduce interest 

rates to zero for all concessional lending through end-2014, as a measure to support low-income 

countries during the global economic crisis. 

The USED continues to support the IMF’s crisis resolution mechanisms, including in the 

following example:
15

 In the November 2011 board statement for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union staff 

report, the USED welcomed the decision by all ECCU members to announce annual 

fiscal targets, while noting the IMF staff’s suggestion that national governments submit 

their budgets to the Monetary Council prior to submission to national parliaments as a 

good first step towards improved fiscal coordination. The USED also encouraged staff 

and the authorities to explore further the viability of ECCB penalties on member states 

that do not meet fiscal targets consistent with medium-term debt sustainability. 

(6) Good governance 

The IMF places great importance on good governance when providing policy advice, financial 

support, and technical assistance to member countries. The Fund’s commitment to promoting 

good governance is outlined in the 1996 Declaration on Partnership for Sustainable Global 

Growth and the 1997 Guidelines on Good Governance. The IMF supports good governance 

through an emphasis on transparency, strong fiduciary diagnostics, and its promotion of marketbased reforms. The IMF has actively promoted good governance through efforts to protect 

against abuse of the financial system and to fight corruption. 

The Fund’s involvement has focused on those governance aspects that are generally considered 

part of the IMF’s core expertise, such as improving public administration, increasing government 

transparency, enhancing data dissemination, and implementing effective financial sector 

supervision. The IMF promotes best practice principles through its codes and standards, 

including the Code of Good Practice on Transparency in Monetary and Financial Policies. The 

IMF also collaborates with the World Bank to strengthen the capacity of HIPC countries to 

develop essential public financial management (PFM) systems and track public sector spending. 

The IMF is also an active participant in the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability 

(PEFA) initiative, which aims to support integrated and harmonized approaches to assessment 

and reform in the field of public expenditure; procurement; and financial accountability. PEFA 

assessments are increasingly being used to measure country PFM performance, and a number of 

countries have undergone second and third PEFA assessment, which allows policy makers and 

donors to track trends over time. 

Examples of U.S. efforts to encourage good governance include the following: 

 In a March 2012 board statement on Haiti’s Article IV staff report, the USED urged the 

Haitian government to enhance both the transparency and the accountability of 

domestically-financed investment spending. 

 In a February 2012 board statement on Panama’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

recognized that the changes made by Panama to its domestic legislation enable it to 

comply with transparency and exchange of information obligations under tax information 

exchange agreements. In the statement, the USED encouraged continued progress with 

regard to the peer review process in the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and 

Exchange of Information. 
16

 In a July 2012 board statement on Tunisia’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

emphasized the importance of strengthening the governance of public sector banks in 

Tunisia, and encouraged Tunisian authorities to rethink these banks’ strategies to allow 

them to lend based on economic rather than policy motives. 

 In an April 2012 board statement on Bangladesh’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF), the 

USED encouraged the authorities to strengthen procurement process shortfalls and other 

governance measures to combat corruption and to bolster investor confidence. 

 In a February 2012 board statement on the Philippines’ Article IV staff report, the USED 

supported the authorities’ efforts to prevent corruption and to increase and improve the 

effectiveness and targeting of social spending through the government’s conditional cash 

transfer program. 

 In a December 2011 board statement on the third review of Romania’s Stand-by 

Arrangement, the USED cited continued improvement in the accountability and 

transparency of public procurement as an achievement under the program and endorsed 

staff’s calls for further improvements in fiscal transparency. 

(7) Channeling public funds away from unproductive purposes, including large “showcase” 

projects and excessive military spending, and toward investment in human and physical 

capital to protect the neediest and promote social equity 

The Fund’s Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency, updated in 2007, identified 

principles and practices to enhance fiscal policy transparency, promote quality audit and 

accounting standards, and reduce or eliminate off-budget transactions, which are often the source 

of unproductive government spending. Supplementing this Code is the Fund's Guide to 

Resource Revenue Transparency, also updated in 2007, a complement to the Fiscal Report on 

Standards and Codes (Fiscal ROSC) for use in resource-rich (oil/gas-mining) countries. The 

Guide is being used increasingly in diagnostic work in extractive industry intense economies. 

The IMF also has been a strong supporter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative 

(EITI) by providing policy and technical support to the EITI Secretariat and implementing 

countries. Numerous countries have had resource revenue and extractive industries issues 

covered in their ROSCs. The USED is promoting improved channeling of public resources in the 

following ways: 

 In a September 2012 board statement for the sixth review of Romania’s Stand-by 

Arrangement, the USED encouraged the Romanian authorities to improve the quality of 

public capital spending and welcomed the program’s new structural benchmark to 

prioritize local government projects and publish a list of projects to be discontinued. 

 In the October 2012 board statement on Antigua and Barbuda’s Article IV staff report 

and 7th program review, the USED urged the authorities to maintain their efforts to 

improve the efficiency of the public sector and introduce labor market reforms. 
17

 In a March 2012 board statement on Haiti’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted that 

Haitian authorities need to focus on ensuring that priority spending is executed in a 

timely manner. The USED also stated that improving the preparation, implementation, 

reporting, and management of the public investment program is critical, since the 

effectiveness and efficiency of public investments are fundamental to accelerating 

reconstruction and to building a base for private sector investment and growth. 

 In a September 2012 board discussion of Zimbabwe’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

recommended that the government address delays in critical infrastructure investments 

and spending in priority social sectors by reining in personnel expenditures, which are 

among the highest in the region. 

(8) Economic prescriptions appropriate to the economic circumstances of each country 

The United States has emphasized the need to focus policy prescriptions and conditionality using 

measurable results on issues critical to growth and macroeconomic stability. Partly as a result of 

U.S. efforts, program conditions have focused increasingly on debt and financial vulnerability in 

middle-income countries and macroeconomic management in low-income countries. 

 In a February 2012 board statement on Panama’s Article IV staff report, the USED noted 

that fiscal performance had been sound and that the USED recognized the rationale for 

monetary policy loosening in 2011 to address flood damage needs. 

 In a March 2012 board statement on Niger’s request for an ECF arrangement, the USED 

urged caution in using non-concessional resources to fulfill the authorities’’ desire to 

increase infrastructure investment, and asked Fund staff to provide a full explanation of 

their assessment on whether to remove the zero ceiling on non-concessional borrowing at 

the first review. 

(9) Core labor standards (“CLS”) 

Treasury works toward integrating core labor standards into the development agenda of the IFIs, 

including the IMF. To this end, Treasury encourages enhanced cooperation among the IFIs and 

the International Labor Organization (ILO) to establish best practices on CLS policies, and 

monitors and takes appropriate action on individual lending and non-lending programs that come 

before the respective Boards of Directors for decision. The State Department monitors labor 

standards in all IFI borrower countries, and since 1994, Treasury has been mandated to submit a 

separate report to Congress assessing progress made by the IFIs and IFI borrowers ] with respect 

to internationally recognized worker rights. The most recent report was submitted in January 

2011.

(10) Discouraging practices that may promote ethnic or social strife 

By helping to create the conditions for a sound economy, IMF assistance facilitates the reduction 

of ethnic and social strife to the extent such strife is driven in part by economic deprivation. For 
18

example, with United States support, the IMF has increasingly encouraged the strengthening of 

social safety nets. The IMF also encourages consultation with various segments of society in the 

development of programs so that these segments have an opportunity to participate in the 

implementation of national priorities. IMF assistance has helped to free up resources for more 

productive public investment by contributing to a reduction in country military expenditures. 

 In a March 2012 board statement on Israel’s Article IV staff report and FSSA, the USED 

noted that a rising share of the population is not fully integrated into the economy and 

this could have negative consequences in the form of lower potential growth and 

increasing claims on the public purse. The USED noted that the authorities acknowledge 

this problem and support efforts to improve workforce participation by all groups.

(11) Link between environmental and macroeconomic conditions and policies 

With respect to individual lending operations, the IMF itself does not evaluate positive or 

negative linkages between economic conditions and environmental sustainability. Rather, the 

IMF coordinates with the World Bank which, unlike the IMF, has the mandate and internal 

expertise to address such linkages. Where environmental issues pose fiscal, financial, and 

macroeconomic challenges, the IMF would provide advice in line with its mandate and expertise. 

The IMF has conducted studies on how to reform tax systems to deal better with broader 

environmental and related problems that can be a significant drag on economic growth, such as 

the health and productivity impacts of poor air quality, and severe congestion of major urban 

centers. There is ongoing work to assess the magnitude of pollution and other major 

environmental side effects associated with fossil fuel use, to provide actionable guidance on 

energy tax reforms for a broad range of developed and developing countries. The IMF has also 

been involved in work for the G-20 advanced and emerging economies on potential sources of 

climate finance for developing countries.

(12) Greater transparency 

The IMF continues to encourage, with strong United States support, member countries to make 

their economic and financial conditions more transparent. In recent years, the IMF has increased 

significantly the amount of program information that is available to the public. The United States 

has stressed the need to build on this progress and expand the number of publications and IMF 

practices open to public scrutiny. As a result of earlier efforts, publication of all Article IV and 

Use of Fund Resources staff reports is presumed unless a country objects. In addition, all 

exceptional access reports generally will be published as a pre-condition to the Board’s approval 

of such an arrangement. The USED consistently encourages countries to publish the full Article 

IV staff report on the IMF's public website. The Board completed its latest review of IMF 

transparency in December 2009. The review suggested measures to increase the amount and 

timeliness of publications, protect the integrity of IMF documents, and enhance the 

accountability and legitimacy of the IMF. 

In addition to pressing countries to publish their Article IV assessments, countries are urged to 

provide additional information to private market participants by regularly releasing data 
19

consistent with the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standards (SDDS). Almost 90 percent of 

Fund members subscribe to either General Data Dissemination Standards or SDDS. 

 In the July 2012 board statement on Brazil’s Article IV staff report, the USED called on 

the Brazilian authorities to consent to publication of the staff report. The U.S. chair also 

called on Brazil to publish the FSSA and detailed assessment reports prepared under the 

FSAP. Brazil subsequently consented to publishing both its Article IV staff report and the 

FSSA. 

 In a September 2012 board statement on Guinea’s first ECF review, the USED urged the 

authorities to continue their efforts to enhance transparency, with particular attention to 

implementation of the new mining code and rapid progress on Guinea’s meeting the 

requirements for full membership in the EITI.

 In a September 2012 board statement for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Article 

IV staff report, the USED urged the government to improve governance and 

transparency, particularly of natural resources to improve the business climate and 

support broad-based growth.

 In a May 2012 board statement on the UAE’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

welcomed recent improvements in data on government related entities and encouraged 

further progress to allow for a between assessment of sector risks. 

 In the December 2011 board statement for Portugal’s second program review, the USED 

commended the authorities for increasing the transparency of the state budget and 

implementing public financial management reforms. 

(13) Greater IMF accountability and enhanced self-evaluation 

In 2000, with the strong urging of the USED, the Executive Board established an Independent 

Evaluation Office (IEO) to supplement existing internal and external evaluation activities. The 

IEO provides objective and independent evaluation on issues related to the IMF and operates 

independently of Fund management and at arm's length from the IMF Board. On average, the 

IEO concludes two or three evaluations per year, and each evaluation normally takes about 18 

months to complete. Recent evaluations include the following: 

 The Role of the IMF as a Trusted Advisor (February 2013)

 International Reserves: IMF Concerns and Country Perspectives (December 2012)

 Research at the IMF: Relevance and Utilization (June 2011) 

 IMF Performance in the Run-up to the Financial Crisis: IMF Surveillance in 2004-07 

(February 2011) 

 IMF Interactions with Member Countries (January 2010) 

 IMF Involvement in International Trade Policy Issues (June 2009) 

 Governance of the IMF: An Evaluation (May 2008) 

 Structural Conditionality in IMF-Supported Programs (January 2008) 

 IMF Exchange Rate Policy Advice, 1999-2005 (May 2007)
20

 The IMF and Aid to Sub-Saharan Africa (March 2007) 

All reports are publicly available on the IEO’s website at 

(http://www.imf.org/external/np/ieo/index.htm). 

(14) Structural reforms which facilitate the provision of credit to small businesses, including 

microenterprise lending 

The lack of financial services available to the poor is a significant obstacle to growth for many 

developing countries. The IMF does not have the lead role among IFIs in microeconomic 

reforms to benefit small businesses; however, Treasury engages with the IFIs to promote 

structural reforms that encourage the provision of credit to small and micro enterprises. The 

microfinance sector is frequently reviewed in the context of the FSAP in developing countries. 

(15) Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (“AML/CFT”) 

Comprehensive integration of the work of the IMF and the other IFIs as part of the effort to fight 

terrorism worldwide has been a consistent policy priority for the United States and its partners. 

We have encouraged collaboration between the IFIs and the Financial Action Task Force 

(“FATF”), which is recognized by the G20, IMF, and the other IFIs as the international standardsetting body for anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (“AML/CFT”). 

The FATF recently revised its 40 AML/CFT Recommendations and will be starting a fourth 

round of mutual evaluations, or peer reviews, next year to assess compliance. 

In April 2007, largely as a result of U.S. and G-7 leadership, the IMF Board reiterated the 

importance of compliance with the FATF standards to strengthening the integrity of financial 

systems and deterring financial abuse, and affirmed the collaborative arrangements presently in 

place with the FATF and FATF-style regional bodies (“FSRBs”) for assessing AML/CFT 

regimes in the context of the IMF's financial sector work. 

Collaboration between the IMF, World Bank, and FATF to incorporate the FATF AML/CFT 

mutual evaluation process into the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) has 

institutionalized the global fight against terrorist financing and money laundering and is helping 

countries to identify shortfalls in their AML/CFT regimes and implement reforms. FSAP policy 

requires that every initial FSAP and FSAP update incorporate a full AML/CFT assessment. As 

of November 2011, the IMF had conducted 60 assessments of country compliance with the 

AML/CFT standards as part of the third round of FATF mutual evaluations, in cooperation with 

the FATF, FSRBs, and the World Bank. 

The IMF is also a substantial source of funding for countries’ efforts to strengthen their own 

AML/CFT regimes – an activity that Treasury has supported and has joined in to leverage 

Treasury’s own bilateral AML/CFT assistance. The IMF has provided substantial technical 

assistance (“TA”) on a bilateral and regional basis. 

Treasury and the USED played a crucial role in ensuring that note is taken of AML/CFT issues 

in Article IV reviews and reports, IMF programs, and other regular reviews of country progress. 
21

 In the December 2011 board statement for Uruguay’s Article IV, the USED commended 

the Uruguayan authorities for their improved compliance with the FATF standards.

 In an April 2012 board statement on San Marino’s Article IV staff report, the USED 

congratulated the authorities on their progress in efforts to fight money laundering and 

the financing of terrorism. Treasury also noted the successful technical assistance 

program on financial crimes that had recently been completed. 

 In a December 2012 board statement on the second review of Kenya’s ECF arrangement, 

the USED urged the authorities to address strategic deficiencies in Kenya’s anti-money 

laundering and combating the financing of terrorism framework. 

 In the August 2012 board statement on the Laos Article IV staff report, the USED 

underscored the need for the authorities to address deficiencies in the country’s 

AML/CFT regime.

 In the February 2012 board statement for the Philippines Article IV staff report, the 

USED urged speedy passage of amendments to the New Central Bank Act and bills to 

strengthen the AML/CTF regime in line with FATF recommendations. The government 

subsequently passed these amendments in June 2012. 
22

II. Section 801(c)(1)(B) 

(I) Suspension of IMF financing if funds are being diverted for purposes other than the 

purposes for which the financing was intended 

With strong United States support, the IMF has taken steps to ensure that IMF resources are used 

solely for the purposes for which they are intended. One of the IMF’s most effective tools 

against corruption is the Safeguards Assessment to prevent possible misuse of IMF resources and

misreporting of information. All countries that request to use IMF resources must agree to 

undergo a Safeguards Assessment. Its purpose is to identify vulnerabilities in a central bank’s 

control systems. IMF staff carry out this diagnostic exercise to consider the adequacy of five key 

areas of control and governance within a central bank: (i) the external audit mechanism; (ii) the 

legal structure and independence; (iii) the financial reporting framework; (iv) the internal audit 

mechanism; and, (v) the internal controls system. The framework was introduced in March 2000 

and reviewed in April 2005. As of September 2011, 225 Safeguards Assessments had been 

completed. 

(II) IMF financing as a catalyst for private sector financing 

The IMF recognizes that, if structured effectively, official financing can complement and attract 

private sector flows. The Fund promotes policy reforms that catalyze private financing and, in 

cases of financial crisis, allow countries to regain access to international private capital markets 

as quickly as possible. (See Section 5 above for a more in-depth discussion of private sector 

involvement.) 

(III) Financing must be disbursed (i) on the basis of specific prior reforms; or (ii) 

incrementally upon implementation of specific reforms after initial disbursement 

IMF disbursements are made in tranches based on a country’s performance against specified 

criteria and policy actions, both prior to and during the program. Together with the rest of the 

IMF’s Executive Board, the USED plays a strong oversight role in ensuring that management 

only brings forward new programs or releases a new tranche of funds after such criteria and 

policy actions have been met.

(IV) Open markets and liberalization of trade in goods and services 

The IMF has advocated consistently for open markets and trade liberalization. The Fund also 

recognizes that trade adjustments can cause temporary balance of payments problems and has 

developed the Trade Integration Mechanism (TIM) to provide transitional financial assistance to 

countries if needed. The Fund also has a key responsibility in dealing with the revenue 

implications of trade liberalization, such as sequencing domestic tax reforms with the trade 

liberalization process. During the recent economic downturn, the IMF consistently advised 

countries that protectionism is not a path to economic recovery. 

The IMF has developed an implementation plan for international trade policy issues that calls for 

reviews of Fund work on trade policy every five years, beginning in 2014. The plan 
23

deemphasizes trade policy as an element of program conditionality but still emphasizes trade 

liberalization where necessary to achieve the macroeconomic objectives of a Fund-supported 

program, as well as the need to avoid trade-restricting measures. The plan also calls for more 

frequent coverage of cross-cutting trade policy issues in the Fund’s multilateral and regional 

surveillance vehicles (such as the World Economic Outlook and the Regional Economic 

Outlooks) and closer cooperation with the WTO and World Bank on trade. 

(V) IMF financing to concentrate chiefly on short-term balance of payments financing 

In 2000 and again in 2009, with strong United States support, the IMF agreed to reorient IMF 

lending to discourage continued or prolonged use of IMF funds and provide incentives for quick 

repayment. In 2000, the IMF introduced a shorter repayment period for the Extended

Arrangement, and in 2009 initiated a time-based surcharge to promote early repayment, and 

increased commitment fees for higher levels of access. 

For low-income countries, the IMF established the Standby Credit Facility (SCF) in July 2009 as 

a new instrument for concessional financing, largely in response to U.S. advocacy. The SCF will 

fill a long-standing gap in the IMF concessional facilities architecture by providing low-income 

countries with a facility specifically designed for intermittent use in response to short-term 

balance of payments financing gaps. The SCF also carries a shorter repayment period than the 

IMF’s other concessional facilities. The United States also continues to be a strong advocate for 

the non-borrowing Policy Support Instrument (PSI) which provides a framework for IMF policy 

advice and donor signaling without the need for IMF lending. The United States has discouraged 

low-income countries from pursuing serial Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) 

programs. The United States urges those countries without a clear balance of payments need to 

opt for a PSI, in which case they retain the option of seeking SCF financing in the event of 

sudden adverse developments. 

Along similar lines, the November 2011 creation of the PLL and RCF, noted above, is aimed at 

providing middle-income countries with shorter-term liquidity to meet temporary balance of 

payments needs. 

 In an August 2012 board statement, the USED supported a proposed two year 

Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL) arrangement for Morocco based on the 

authorities’ strong track record of macroeconomic management and adoption of policies 

to reduce fiscal and external deficits. 

 In an April 2012 board statement, the USED supported cancellation of Yemen’s 

Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement and disbursement under a new Rapid Credit 

Facility (RCF). The USED expressed hope that the RCF will provide a bridge to an 

appropriately-designed, longer term arrangement to underpin much needed reforms and 

catalyze donor support.

 In a May 2012 board statement on Gambia’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) program 

request, the USED expressed the need for a stronger rationale of the underlying balance 
24

of payments difficulties that the country faces, and expressed concern about the heavily 

front-loaded disbursement schedule. 

 In a December 2011 board statement on Mali’s seventh Extended Credit Facility (ECF) 

review, the USED asked staff to comment on whether other forms of engagement beyond 

a successor ECF program were considered. Given that Mali has had six previous Fund 

programs, the USED asked the Fund to begin to develop an exit strategy for the country 

(Note: the successor program was placed on hold following a March 2012 coup).

 

(VI) Graduation from receiving financing on concessionary terms 

The United States supports comprehensive growth strategies to help countries graduate from 

concessional to market-based lending. The United States works closely with the IMF and World 

Bank to promote a growth-oriented agenda in developing countries based on strong 

macroeconomic and structural policies. The IMF extends concessional credit through the PRGT. 

Eligibility is based principally on a country's per capita income and eligibility for financing 

under the International Development Association (“IDA”), the World Bank's concessional 

window. The current operational cutoff point for IDA eligibility is an IMF fiscal year 2012 per 

capita GNI level of $1,175. A member will graduate and be removed from the PRGT-eligibility 

list if the following apply: (1) its annual per capita GNI has been above the IDA cutoff point for 

the past five years, with an increasing trend; and/or (2) the member has the ability to durably and 

substantially access international financial markets and has a per capita GNI above 80 percent of 

the IDA cutoff, with GNI per capita on an increasing trend for the past five years; and, (3) the 

member country faces a low risk of a sharp decline in income or market access and limited debt 

vulnerabilities, as determined by the Fund’s quantitative analysis. 
25

Legislative Provisions

Section 1705(a) of the International Financial Institutions Act, as amended

Annual report and testimony on state of international financial system, IMF reform, and 

compliance with IMF agreements

(a) Access to Materials. - Not later than October 1 of each year, the Secretary of the Treasury 

shall submit to the Committees on Banking and Financial Services and on Ways and Means of 

the House of Representatives and the Committees on Finance and on Foreign Relations of the 

Senate a written report on (1) the progress (if any) made by the United States Executive Director 

at the International Monetary Fund in influencing the International Monetary Fund to adopt the 

policies and reform its internal procedures in the manner described in section 1503, and (2) the 

progress made by the International Monetary Fund in adopting and implementing the policies 

described in section 801(c)(1)(B) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related 

Programs Appropriations Act, 2001. 

Section 1503(a) of the International Financial Institutions Act, as amended (originally 

passed as Section 610(a) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related 

Programs Appropriations Act, 1999, and amended in 2004)

The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States Executive Director of the 

International Monetary Fund to use aggressively the voice and vote of the Executive Director to 

do the following:

(1) Vigorously promote policies to increase the effectiveness of the International Monetary Fund 

in structuring programs and assistance so as to promote policies and actions that will contribute 

to exchange rate stability and avoid competitive devaluations that will further destabilize the 

international financial and trade systems. 

(2) Vigorously promote policies to increase the effectiveness of the International Monetary Fund 

in promoting market-oriented reform, trade liberalization, economic growth, democratic 

governance, and social stability through –

(A) Establishing an independent monetary authority, with full power to conduct monetary 

policy, that provides for a non-inflationary domestic currency that is fully convertible in 

foreign exchange markets; 

(B) Opening domestic markets to fair and open internal competition among domestic 

enterprises by eliminating inappropriate favoritism for small or large businesses, eliminating 

elite monopolies, creating and effectively implementing anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws to 

protect free competition, and establishing fair and accessible legal procedures for dispute 

settlement among domestic enterprises; 

(C) Privatizing industry in a fair and equitable manner that provides economic opportunities 

to a broad spectrum of the population, eliminating government and elite monopolies, closing 

loss-making enterprises, and reducing government control over the factors of production; 
26

(D)Economic deregulation by eliminating inefficient and overly burdensome regulations and 

strengthening the legal framework supporting private contract and intellectual property 

rights; 

(E) Establishing or strengthening key elements of a social safety net to cushion the effects on 

workers of unemployment and dislocation; and 

(F) Encouraging the opening of markets for agricultural commodities and products by 

requiring recipient countries to make efforts to reduce trade barriers. 

(3) Vigorously promote policies to increase the effectiveness of the International Monetary Fund, 

in concert with appropriate international authorities and other international financial institutions 

(as defined in Section 1701(c)(2)), in strengthening financial systems in developing countries, 

and encouraging the adoption of sound banking principles and practices, including the 

development of laws and regulations that will help to ensure that domestic financial institutions 

meet strong standards regarding capital reserves, regulatory oversight, and transparency. 

(4) Vigorously promote policies to increase the effectiveness of the International Monetary Fund, 

in concert with appropriate international authorities and other international financial institutions 

(as defined in Section 1701(c)(2)), in facilitating the development and implementation of 

internationally acceptable domestic bankruptcy laws and regulations in developing countries, 

including the provision of technical assistance as appropriate. 

(5) Vigorously promote policies that aim at appropriate burden-sharing by the private sector so 

that investors and creditors bear more fully the consequences of their decisions, and accordingly 

advocate policies which include –

(A) Strengthening crisis prevention and early warning signals through improved and more 

effective surveillance of the national economic policies and financial market development of 

countries (including monitoring of the structure and volume of capital flows to identify 

problematic imbalances in the inflow of short and medium term investment capital, 

potentially destabilizing inflows of offshore lending and foreign investment, or problems 

with the maturity profiles of capital to provide warnings of imminent economic instability), 

and fuller disclosure of such information to market participants; 

(B) Accelerating work on strengthening financial systems in emerging market economies so 

as to reduce the risk of financial crises; 

(C) Consideration of provisions in debt contracts that would foster dialogue and consultation 

between a sovereign debtor and its private creditors, and among those creditors; 

(D)Consideration of extending the scope of the International Monetary Fund’s policy on 

lending to members in arrears and of other policies so as to foster the dialogue and 

consultation referred to in subparagraph (C); 

(E) Intensified consideration of mechanisms to facilitate orderly workout mechanisms for 

countries experiencing debt or liquidity crises; 

(F) Consideration of establishing ad hoc or formal linkages between the provision of official 

financing to countries experiencing a financial crisis and the willingness of market 

participants to meaningfully participate in any stabilization effort led by the International 

Monetary Fund; 
27

(G)Using the International Monetary Fund to facilitate discussions between debtors and 

private creditors to help ensure that financial difficulties are resolved without inappropriate 

resort to public resources; and 

(H)The International Monetary Fund accompanying the provision of funding to countries 

experiencing a financial crisis resulting from imprudent borrowing with efforts to achieve a 

significant contribution by the private creditors, investors, and banks which had extended 

such credits. 

(6) Vigorously promote policies that would make the International Monetary Fund a more 

effective mechanism, in concert with appropriate international authorities and other international 

financial institutions (as defined in Section 1701(c)(2)), for promoting good governance 

principles within recipient countries by fostering structural reforms, including procurement 

reform, that reduce opportunities for corruption and bribery, and drug-related money laundering. 

(7) Vigorously promote the design of International Monetary Fund programs and assistance so 

that governments that draw on the International Monetary Fund channel public funds away from 

unproductive purposes, including large “show case” projects and excessive military spending, 

and toward investment in human and physical capital as well as social programs to protect the 

neediest and promote social equity. 

(8) Work with the International Monetary Fund to foster economic prescriptions that are 

appropriate to the individual economic circumstances of each recipient country, recognizing that 

inappropriate stabilization programs may only serve to further destabilize the economy and 

create unnecessary economic, social, and political dislocation. 

(9) Structure International Monetary Fund programs and assistance so that the maintenance and 

improvement of core labor standards are routinely incorporated as an integral goal in the policy 

dialogue with recipient countries, so that –

(A) Recipient governments commit to affording workers the right to exercise internationally 

recognized core worker rights, including the right of free association and collective 

bargaining through unions of their own choosing; 

(B) Measures designed to facilitate labor market flexibility are consistent with such core 

worker rights; and 

(C) The staff of the International Monetary Fund surveys the labor market policies and 

practices of recipient countries and recommends policy initiatives that will help to ensure the 

maintenance or improvement of core labor standards. 

(10) Vigorously promote International Monetary Fund programs and assistance that are 

structured to the maximum extent feasible to discourage practices which may promote ethnic or 

social strife in a recipient country. 

(11) Vigorously promote recognition by the International Monetary Fund that macroeconomic 

developments and policies can affect and be affected by environmental conditions and policies, 

and urge the International Monetary Fund to encourage member countries to pursue 

macroeconomic stability while promoting environmental protection. 
28

(12) Facilitate greater International Monetary Fund transparency, including by enhancing 

accessibility of the International Monetary Fund and its staff, foster a more open release policy 

toward working papers, past evaluations, and other International Monetary Fund documents, 

seeking to publish all Letters of Intent to the International Monetary Fund and Policy Framework 

Papers, and establishing a more open release policy regarding Article IV consultations. 

(13) Facilitate greater International Monetary Fund accountability and enhance International 

Monetary Fund self-evaluation by vigorously promoting review of the effectiveness of the Office 

of Internal Audit and Inspection and the Executive Board’s external evaluation pilot program 

and, if necessary, the establishment of an operations evaluation department modeled on the 

experience of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, guided by such key 

principles as usefulness, credibility, transparency, and independence. 

(14) Vigorously promote coordination with the International Bank for Reconstruction and 

Development and other international financial institutions (as defined in Section 1701 (c)(2)) in 

promoting structural reforms which facilitate the provision of credit to small businesses, 

including microenterprise lending, especially in the world’s poorest, heavily indebted countries. 

(15) Work with the International Monetary Fund to 

(A) foster strong global anti-money laundering (AML) and combat the financing of terrorism 

(CFT) regimes; 

(B) ensure that country performance under the Financial Action Task Force anti-money 

laundering and counterterrorist financing standards is effectively and comprehensively 

monitored; 

(C) ensure note is taken of AML and CFT issues in Article IV reports, International 

Monetary Fund programs, and other regular reviews of country progress; 

(D) ensure that effective AML and CFT regimes are considered to be indispensable elements 

of sound financial systems; and 

(E) emphasize the importance of sound AML and CFT regimes to global growth and 

development. 

Section 801(c)(1)(B) Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 2001

Treasury should report on the extent to which the IMF is implementing –

I. Policies providing for the suspension of financing if funds are being diverted for purposes 

other than the purpose for which the financing was intended; 

II. Policies seeking to ensure that financing by the Fund normally serves as a catalyst for private 

sector financing and does not displace such financing; 

III. Policies requiring that financing must be disbursed (i) on the basis of specific prior reforms; 

or (ii) incrementally upon implementation of specific reforms after initial disbursement; 
29

IV. Policies vigorously promoting open markets and liberalization of trade in goods and services;

V. Policies providing that financing by the Fund concentrate chiefly on short-term balance of 

payments financing; 

VI. Policies providing for the use, in conjunction with the Bank, of appropriate qualitative and 

quantitative indicators to measure progress toward graduation from receiving financing on 

concessionary terms, including an estimated timetable by which countries may graduate over the 

next 15 years. 

Section 605(d) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act, 1999

On a quarterly basis, the Secretary of the Treasury shall report to the appropriate committees on 

the standby or other arrangements of the Fund made during the preceding quarter, identifying 

separately the arrangements to which the policies described in section 601(4) of this title apply 

and the arrangements to which such policies do not apply. 

Section 601. *** 

(1) Policies providing that, in circumstances where a country is experiencing balance of 

payments difficulties due to a large short-term financing need resulting from a sudden and 

disruptive loss of market confidence and in order to provide an incentive for early repayment and 

encourage private market financing, loans made from the Fund’s general resources after the date 

of the enactment of this section are—

(A) made available at an interest rate that reflects an adjustment for risk that is not less than 

300 basis points in excess of the average of the market-based short term cost of financing of 

its largest members; and 

(B) repaid within 1 to 2 1⁄2 years from each disbursement. 
30

ANNEX 1 Report to Congress on International Monetary Fund Lending

October 1, 2011 – December 31, 2012

October 1 – December 31, 2011

January 1, 2011 – March 31, 2012

Board 

Approval Date Country Amount Type U.S. Position

11/04/2011 Côte d’Ivoire SDR 390.24 million 

($615.9 million)

ECF Support

SDR 5.04 million

($8 million)

Additional 

Interim 

Enhanced HIPC 

Assistance 

11/14/2011 Islamic Republic of 

Afghanistan

SDR 85 million 

($133.6 million)

ECF Support

11/23/2011 Solomon Islands SDR 5.2 million

($ 8.08 million)

SCF Support

12/12/2011 Mali SDR 30 million 

($46.3 million)

ECF Support

Board 

Approval Date Country Amount Type

U.S. 

Position

03/16/2012 Niger SDR 78.96 million 

($120.97 million)

ECF Support

03/15/2012 Greece SDR 23.8 billion 

($36.7 billion)

Extended EFF Support

02/24/2012 Guinea SDR 128.52 million 

($198.9 million)

ECF Support

SDR 1.2852 million 

($1.99 million)

Add’l Interim 

Assistance 

Under Enhanced 

HIPC

02/06/2012 Djibouti SDR 9.54 million 

($14.7 million)

ECF 

Augmentation

Support

01/13/2012 Burundi SDR 30 million 

($46.5 million)

ECF Support

01/11/2012 Dominica SDR 2.05 million 

($3.1 million)

RCF Support
31

April 1, 2012 – June 30, 2012

\

Date Country Amount Type

U.S. 

Position

4/4/12 Republic of Yemen SDR 60.875 million

($93.75 million)

RCF Support

4/9/12 Kingdom of Lesotho SDR 8.725 million

($13.423 million)

ECF 

Augmentation

Support

4/11/12 Bangladesh SDR 639.96 million

($987 million)

ECF Support

4/11/12 Georgia SDR 250 million

($385.6 million)

SBA / SCF Support

4/27/12 Republic of Kosovo SDR 90.968 million

($140.8 million)

SBA Support

5/25/12 The Gambia SDR 18.66 million

($28.3 million)

ECF Support

6/25/12 Central African 

Republic

SDR 41.775 million

($63.2 million)

ECF Support

IMF 6/25/12

IDA 6/26/12

Côte d’Ivoire $3.1 billion Enhanced HIPC Support

$1.3 billion MDRI
32

July 1, 2012 – September 30, 2012

Notes: 

1. FCL: Flexible Credit Line; RCF: Rapid Credit Facility; ENDA: Emergency Natural Disaster 

Assistance; PCL: Precautionary Credit Line; ECF: Extended Credit Facility; SBA: Stand-By 

Arrangement 

2. The policies described in section 601(4) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and 

Related Programs Appropriations Act 1999 did not apply to any of the programs above. 

Board 

Approval Date Country Amount Type U.S. 

Position

07/06/2012 Tanzania SDR149.175 million

($224.9 million)

SCF Support

07/20/2012 São Tomé and 

Príncipe

SDR2.59 million

($3.9 million)

ECF Support

07/23/2012 Malawi SDR104.1 million

($156.2 million)

ECF Support

08/03/2012 Jordan SDR1.364 billion

($2.06 billion)

SBA Support

09/26/2012 Bosnia and 

Herzegovina

€405.3 million

($520.6 million)

SBA Support