bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of the Fund's Mandate - Follow-Up on Modernizing Surveillance
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The paper reviews the adequacy of the Fund’s precautionary balances and proposes a more transparent and rules-based framework for adjusting the precautionary balance target through time. The framework seeks to provide sufficient flexibility to capture the main elements considered relevant by the Board in the past when setting the target and draws on approaches followed by other IFIs, adapted to the particular circumstances of the Fund.
Safeguards Assessments - Review of Experience
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper presents the Fund’s net income outcome for FY 2010. The actual outcomes in this paper follow the closing of the Fund’s accounts for the financial year and completion of the FY 2010 external audit conducted by Deloitte & Touche, the Fund’s external auditor. The paper also provides an update on the restructuring costs incurred during FY 2010.
Statement by the Managing Director on the Work Program of the Executive Board - Executive Board Meeting - May 24, 2010
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This report by the external panel of experts (“the panel”) examines the effectiveness and appropriateness of the safeguards policy over the ten years since the inception of the policy, and most particularly in the five years since its last review. Furthermore, the panel, drawing on its research and experience, aims to establish a course for the Executive Board to consider that would help the safeguards policy continually improve, adapt to changing world conditions, and remain viable and relevant for the next decade. In gathering data to form its opinion, the panel (i) consulted with stakeholders in the policy (including central bank authorities, IMF Executive Directors’ offices, Fund and World Bank staff, and international audit firms), (ii) examined safeguards and other Fund-specific documents, and (iii) researched international reference materials.
Progress Report on the Activities of the Independent Evaluation Office
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper examines the performance of emerging market economies (EMs) during the recent global crisis and draws policy conclusions. It considers how EMs were affected by the initial impact of the crisis, examines the extent to which they were able to undertake countercyclical policies to moderate the impact, and highlights factors that have influenced the pace and timing of their recovery. Finally, it considers policy challenges facing EMs as the crisis subsides. This paper sheds light on the role of reserves in crises, and provides contextual background for work on the future financing role of the IMF.
Update on the Financing of the Fund’s Concessional Assistance and Debt Relief to Low-Income Member Countries
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper updates the quota data base through 2008 and discusses implications for members’ calculated quota shares. A subsequent staff paper will review key issues related to the realignment of quota shares and present additional illustrative simulations, for discussion by the Committee of the Whole in early July.
The Fund’s Mandate—Future Financing Role
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The following is the provisional agenda for the Twenty-First Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, which is to be convened at the Fund’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 24, 2010. A joint working dinner of IMFC members and G-20 ministers will be held on Friday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in HQ1–Meeting Halls A & B. The IMFC meeting will be followed by the press conference of the IMFC Chairman and the Managing Director at 2:30 p.m.
Staff Guidance Note on the Use of Fund Resources for Budget Support
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper proposes that the Fund establish an administered account and a subaccount under the Framework Instrument for Selected Fund Activities (the “SFA”), to enhance the new external financing architecture for capacity building and related Fund activities. The specific accounts proposed to be established are: (1) an administered account for interim holdings of voluntary contributions for Fund activities, that would primarily accommodate contributions from donors for Fund activities that are planned but not yet fully developed (“The Interim Holding Administered Account,” hereinafter, the “Holding Account”); and (2) a Subaccount for the administration of selected smaller-scale capacity building and related activities (the “Catch-All Subaccount”) under the SFA Instrument, which would facilitate the administration of external funds for smaller, one-off projects.
Exiting from Crisis Intervention Policies
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper identifies broad principles for exiting from extraordinary and unprecedented crisis-related intervention policies implemented by countries across the globe following the onset of the crisis in the summer of 2007. It responds to the requests of the IMFC and the Board to make Fund advice and views on exiting from crisis-related intervention measures more concrete. Drawing on previous and ongoing work by staff, it mostly focuses on medium and large advanced and emerging market economies, in which interventions have been more substantial.
Framework Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities-Norway Subaccount for Selected Fund Activities
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The Fund, represented by the Managing Director, has reached understandings with Norway acting through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ("Norway"), to finance capacity building, training and related activities. On the basis of these understandings, the Managing Director has established the essential terms and conditions of the Subaccount, with which Norway concurs, with respect to the nature, design, and implementation of the activities to be financed and the method by which the costs of the activities will be financed from the Subaccount.
Note Purchase Agreement with Brazil
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This Note Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into between the Federative Republic of Brazil ("Brazil") and the International Monetary Fund (the "Fund"). Where specified in this Agreement, Banco Central do Brasil ("BCB") shall act as agent for Brazil in order to carry out the operations with the Fund herein described. In those cases, the Fund shall be entitled to consider any request, representation or notification from or to the BCB, or any consultation with the BCB, as constituting, respectively, a request, representation or notification from or to, or consultation with, Brazil.
Managing Volatility in Low-Income Countries - The Role and Potential for Contingent Financial Instruments
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The paper examines the case for contingent financial instruments for low-income countries (LICs), from both the market and official sector. These include commodity price hedging instruments, contingent debt instruments (commodity-linked bonds, deferred repayment loans), and natural disaster insurance, for example. The paper considers the adequacy of the existing framework of ex post and ex ante support to LICs facing exogenous shocks, and examines the need for and possible constraints to greater availability of contingent instruments. Would there be a role for the international community, particularly the IMF and World Bank, in helping to address the constraints that limit development and use of these instruments?
Review of the Fund's Strategy on Overdue Financial Obligations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews progress under the Fund’s strengthened cooperative strategy on overdue financial obligations. The level and structure of arrears to the Fund remained broadly unchanged since the last review. Total arrears to the Fund amounted to SDR 1,303.9 million at end-June 2011, a decline of about SDR 5.5 million since the last review. While payments to the Fund by Sudan and Zimbabwe were in excess of new obligations falling due since the last review, Somalia’s arrears increased further.
Use of Windfall Gold Sale Profits—Further Considerations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

In April 2011, Executive Directors held a preliminary discussion on the use of the profits of SDR 6.85 billion from the Fund’s limited gold sale. They noted their expectation that at least SDR 4.4 billion of the profits would be placed in an endowment within the Investment Account, and affirmed their support for the 2009 financing package for low-income countries (LICs), including the distribution to the Fund’s membership of up to SDR 0.7 billion from the profits linked to gold sales, with the expectation that most members will return equivalent funds to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). There was a wide range of views among Directors on the three main options presented for the windfall of SDR 1.75 billion, but no consensus favoring a single option. The main options presented included use of resources linked to the windfall to boost the capacity of the PRGT, counting the windfall towards precautionary balances, or investing the windfall profits as part of the Investment Account’s endowment. Many Directors indicated that they could support a combination of two or more of the main options.
Fourth Periodic Monitoring Report on the Status of Implementation Plans in Response to Board-Endorsed IEO Recommendations - Assessment by the Evaluation Committee to the Executive Board
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The Executive Board agreed in January 2008 to refer future Periodic Monitoring Reports (PMRs) to the Evaluation Committee (EVC) for initial consideration and review before reporting to the full Board. It was expected that, although a Board discussion could not be ruled out, in most cases the EVC discussion would replace a Board discussion. This procedure, which was intended to make better use of Board Committees and more efficient use of Board time, was applied to the consideration of the previous PMRs and has been followed for the Fourth PMR.
Preliminary Considerations of Options to Address Excessive Delays in the Completion of Article IV Consultations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper aims to engage Directors on how best to promote timely completion of Article IV consultations. Surveillance is mandatory for both the Fund and its members, and members have an obligation to consult with the Fund for this purpose. In this context, it is useful to consider if further steps are warranted to address cases in which members do not consult with the Fund on a timely basis. This paper does not propose Board decisions at this stage. Instead it lays out ideas to elicit Directors’ views. Based on this informal discussion, staff could return later to the Board, if needed for a formal discussion and possible decisions.
Statement by the Managing Director to the International Monetary and Financial Committee on the Global Economy and Financial Markets
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The recovery is solidifying. However, old policy challenges still need to be fully addressed and new challenges are arising, especially on account of rising commodities prices. In many advanced economies the handoff from public to private demand is proceeding. But unemployment remains high and weak public balance sheets and still vulnerable financial sectors mean that the recovery is subject to downside risks. In many emerging market economies, overheating and financial imbalances present growing policy concerns. Monetary policy should stay accommodative in advanced economies, but needs further tightening in a number of emerging and developing economies to rein in inflationary pressure and rapid credit growth. Additionally, in emerging surplus economies, real exchange rate appreciation is needed to help contain inflation and support global demand rebalancing. In most economies, the time has come to begin fiscal adjustment by implementing measures to steadily reduce debt ratios toward more prudent levels. Moreover, financial sector repair and reform need to accelerate. Absent major progress on all these fronts, the recovery will remain vulnerable and job creation will continue to fall short of requirements in many parts of the world.
Progress Report on the Activities of the Independent Evaluation Office
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

Since its last report in October 2010, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) has completed its evaluation of IMF Performance in the Run-Up to the Financial and Economic Crisis: IMF Surveillance in 2004–07 and has begun work on two new evaluations. The IEO expects to submit its evaluation of Research at the IMF: Relevance and Utilization to the Executive Board shortly.
Review of the Fund's Income Position for FY 2011 and FY 2012
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews the Fund’s income position for FY 2011 and FY 2012. The paper updates projections provided at the FY 2011 midyear review and sets out related proposed decisions for the current and next financial years. A companion paper provides an update on the consolidated medium-term income and expenditure framework.
Borrowing Agreement with Banca d'Italia
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

In light of the multilateral effort to ensure the adequacy of the financial resources available to the International Monetary Fund (the "Fund"), and with a view to supporting the Fund's ability to provide timely and effective balance of payments assistance to its members, Banca d’Italia agrees to lend to the Fund an SDR-denominated amount up to the equivalent of EUR 8.11 billion, on the terms and conditions set out below...
Recent Experiences in Managing Capital Inflows—Cross-Cutting Themes and Possible Policy Framework—Supplementary Information
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This supplement provides further information on some of the issues covered in Recent Experiences in Managing Capital Inflows—Cross-Cutting Themes and Possible Policy Framework that have been highlighted in staff’s informal discussions with Directors. These include the role of supply-side factors behind the surge in capital flows and the nature of the framework pertaining to the use of capital flow management measures (CFMs).
Assessing Reserve Adequacy - Supplementary Information
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The dramatic increase in reserves holdings over the past decade has resumed since the global financial crisis, even at an accelerated pace. While the crisis has heightened perceptions of the importance of holding adequate reserves, there is little consensus on what constitutes an adequate level from a precautionary perspective: traditional metrics are narrowly-based and often provide conflicting signals; while newer approaches tend to be hostage to stylized modeling assumptions and calibrations. As a result, assessments tend to rely on comparisons with peers, probably amplifying the upward trend as perceived needs rise in line with actual holdings.

The metric proposed in the main paper is based on outflows—principally in relation the relevant stock of underlying foreign liabilities or domestic assets—during periods of exchange market pressure (EMP). Especially as it remains the primary reason countries accumulate reserves for insurance purposes, the metric is based on balance of payments drains experienced during EMP episodes—i.e., a measure of sufficient reserves periods of pressure and ahead of a full-blown crisis.
Enhancing International Monetary Stability--A Role for the SDR?
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The SDR has enjoyed renewed attention lately in the context of debates on international monetary reform. To be sure, the term SDR has been used to refer to three different concepts—(i) a composite reserve asset created in 1969: the “official SDR” as defined in the Fund’s Articles; (ii) a potential new class of reserve assets: tradable SDRdenominated securities issued by the Fund or an investment vehicle backed by a subset of the Fund’s membership; and (iii) a unit of account, which could be used to price internationally traded assets (e.g., sovereign bonds) and goods (e.g., commodities), to peg currencies, and to report balance of payments data. All three are discussed in this paper.
Enhancing Financial Sector Surveillance in Low-Income Countries - Background Paper
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This note provides an overview of the literature on the challenges posed by shallow financial systems for macroeconomic policy implementation. Countries with shallow markets are more likely to choose fixed exchange rates, less likely to use indirect measures as instruments of monetary policy, and to implement effective counter-cyclical fiscal policies. But causation appears to work in both directions, as policy stances can themselves affect financial development. Drawing on recent FSAP reports, the note also shows that shallow financial markets tend to increase foreign exchange, liquidity management, and concentration risks, posing risks for financial stability
Handbook of IMF Facilities for Low-Income Countries
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The Fund’s concessional facilities are aimed at providing flexible and tailored support to low-income countries (LICs) in their efforts to achieve, maintain, or restore a stable and sustainable macroeconomic position consistent with strong and durable poverty reduction and growth.
Guidance Note on the Fund's Transparency Policy
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

Provides guidance to staff on the implementation of the Fund’s Transparency Policy. The objectives of the policy include strengthening the Fund’s effectiveness by providing the public with access to Fund views and deliberations, thus informing public debate and building traction for the Fund’s advice, supporting the quality of surveillance and of programs, by subjecting the Fund to outside scrutiny, and enhancing the Fund’s legitimacy by making the institution more accountable. A Transparency Policy Decision (referred to in the remainder of this note as “the Decision”) sets out rules for the modification and publication of all Board documents. A number of changes to the Decision were adopted by the Executive Board on June 24, 2013 (See Box 1 and 2013 Review of the Fund’s Transparency Policy, May 14, 2013, Background Paper, May 14, 2013, and Supplementary Information and Revised Proposed Decisions, June 17, 2013).
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - Labor Market Reforms to Boost Employment and Productivity in the GCC
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The GCC growth model has delivered substantial improvements in living standards over several decades. Access to foreign labor has supported rapid growth in the non-oil sector and price stability in the region. It has also resulted in positive spillovers to the migrant-sending countries through large remittance flows. At the same time, governments have increased public-sector employment and have helped raise standards of living.
However, the growth model has involved costs: the public-sector wage bill is relatively high, there is limited employment of nationals in the private sector, labor productivity has declined or stagnated, and there is limited progress on economic diversification
Unification of Discount Rates Used in External Debt Analysis for Low-Income Countries
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper proposes reforms to the discount rates used by the Bank and the Fund to (a) calculate the present value (PV) of the external debt of low-income countries (LICs) in debt sustainability analyses (DSAs) and (b) to calculate the grant element of individual loans. Consistent with the conclusions of the March 2013 review of the Fund’s debt limits policy, the paper proposes a single uniform discount rate to be used for these related operational purposes. It has been prepared as a joint product of Bank and Fund staff, with the exception of the decision, which is Fund-specific.
Key Trends in Implementation of the Fund's Transparency Policy
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

At the time of the 2005 review of the Fund’s Transparency Policy, it was agreed that information on key trends in implementation of the Transparency Policy would be circulated to the Board regularly, along with lists indicating the publication status of reports discussed by the Board.

The set of tables provided in this report updates the last Key Trends with information on documents discussed by the Board through December 2012.
Guidance Note on Jobs and Growth Issues in Surveillance and Program Work
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This note provides operational guidance to staff on Jobs and Growth issues in surveillance and program work, building on the Board paper “Jobs and Growth: Analytical and Operational Considerations for the Fund” (hereafter, “Board paper”). Jobs and Growth issues can be defined broadly as issues relating to GDP growth, employment, and income distribution.

The Board paper noted that work on these issues needs to be consistent with both the Fund’s mandate and its areas of expertise. On a number of structural issues, especially related to labor market reforms and social protection schemes, the Fund would need to effectively collaborate with other institutions with greater relevant expertise.
Update on the Financing of the Fund’s Concessional Assistance and Debt Relief to Low-Income Member Countries
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews recent developments in financing of the Fund’s concessional lending and debt relief. It reports the latest available data including the pledges made thus far in response to the Managing Director’s fund-raising requests of August 2009 and February and November 2012 aimed at establishing a self-sustained PRGT. The PRGT’s potential self-sustained capacity is discussed in the context of longer-term projections of the demand for concessional lending.
2013 Low-Income Countries Global Risks and Vulnerabilities Report
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

An assessment of vulnerabilities and risks in LICs remains important both for LICs themselves and for the international community. There are currently 74 LICs, eligible for concessional financing from the Fund. This group of countries has a total population of about 1.3 billion, with an average per capita income of around $850. They typically face the steepest challenges in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and are increasingly the focus of global development assistance to assist them in this endeavor.

This report serves several purposes. It provides a cross-cutting analysis of the economic vulnerabilities of LICs, yielding some general policy conclusions and messages aimed at strengthening their resilience to external shocks. It delivers a richer coverage of developments in LICs than is typically contained in the major IMF multilateral surveillance reports, where analysis is focused primarily on developments in the advanced and emerging market economies. The report serves as an effective outreach tool to country authorities and the wider public. Finally, it provides useful information to other international financial institutions (IFIs) and donors that provide financial resources to LICs on the potential financing needs of these countries under varying global scenarios.
IMF Participation in the Regulatory Oversight Committee of the Global Legal Entity Identifier System
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper describes the Global Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) System and proposes Fund participation in the LEI Regulatory Oversight Committee (ROC) as an observer. An Executive Board decision is required for this purpose and is proposed in this document.

The paper is organized as follows:
- Part I describes the background to and governance structure of the Global LEI System.
- Part II discusses the implications of Fund participation in the ROC as an observer. Part III sets out a proposed decision for Executive Board approval.
Global Impact and Challenges of Unconventional Monetary Policies
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper takes stock of unconventional monetary policies (UMP) and their impact so far, and looks ahead towards exit and prospects for policy coordination. It synthesizes earlier staff work on UMP,1 the findings of a substantial and growing academic and central banking literature, as well as further staff analysis contained in the Background Paper. While some widely accepted conclusions have emerged from the large and growing number of studies on UMP, many important questions remain unsettled, as enough time has not elapsed to draw definitive conclusions. In those cases, the paper will pose the relevant questions and provide possible nswers, while recognizing the uncertainty that remains.
Trade Interconnectedness - The World with Global Value Chains
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The aim of this paper is to address the implications of Global Value Chains (GVCs) for the Fund’s surveillance work. The paper first draws on the World Input-Output Database (WIOD) to document the dynamics of trade linkages between countries and regions through GVCs and its impact on the real economy. The paper then examines the implications of GVCs for the real effective exchange rate (REER), a key tool used at the Fund for bilateral as well as multilateral surveillance work, and shows the potential benefit of revisiting the REER formula in light of the increasing relevance of GVCs. The paper ends with implications of GVCs for trade and trade-related policies and the multilateral trading system
Implementing Macroprudential Policy - Selected Legal Issues
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

As countries design and implement macroprudential policies, they face the challenge of determining what—if any—changes need to be made to their legal and institutional framework to ensure that these policies are effective. Based on a review of experience, it is clear that there are a variety of approaches that can be taken by members, in light of the legal constraints and institutional preferences of each country. Whichever approach is followed, a number of issues need to be addressed when designing legislation in this area, both with respect to the substantive legal provisions and the allocation of institutional responsibilities. As background to ”Key Aspects of Macroprudential Policy“, this paper provides an overview of these legal and institutional issues, while recognizing that macroprudential policy is an area that is still evolving.
Framework Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities - Government of Australia Subaccount for Selected Fund Activities
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

In March 2009, the Fund adopted the Instrument to establish a new Framework Administered Account to administer external financial resources for Selected Fund Activities (the “SFA Instrument”).1 The financing of activities under the terms of the SFA Instrument is implemented through the establishment and operation of subaccounts. This paper requests Executive Board approval to establish the Government of Australia Subaccount for Selected Fund Activities (the “Subaccount”) under the terms of the SFA Instrument.
Improving Cross-Sector Data Consistency
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The objective of the paper is to inform Executive Directors of recent work undertaken by the Statistics Department (STA) to further enhance data consistency.
STA works to promote high quality statistics as essential pre-requisites for the formulation of appropriate macroeconomic and financial policies. Such work supports IMF surveillance and goals that are articulated in Board papers pertaining to Data Provision to the Fund for Surveillance Purposes; the G-20/IMFC Data Gaps Initiative; and the Fund’s Data Standards Initiatives. All these initiatives are motivated by the Executive Directors’ interest in better and more consistent data.

An important element of STA’s work program is the project to improve crosssector data consistency. This project has focused on an initial set of countries that reflect the diverse nature of the IMF’s membership, and on selected data series. Data inconsistencies across macroeconomic datasets (financial, government, external, and national accounts statistics) have been found to exist for most countries, regardless of their size and level of development. Such inconsistencies may arise from a variety of reasons, including methodological differences and different data vintages.

The project has been favorably received by member countries and has enhanced cooperation at both the international and national levels. Indeed, because a number of agencies within a country may be involved in compiling macroeconomic statistics, the project has encouraged strengthened national inter-agency cooperation to resolve inconsistencies.

In spite of ongoing efforts, many inconsistencies persist, and new inconsistencies may sometimes arise. A significant initial finding is that countries may face challenges in improving cross-sector data consistency. In particular, member country resource constraints often limit the scope of their work in the short– and medium–term.

Next steps. The recent work undertaken by STA has yielded significant positive results in a relatively brief period of time. Therefore, next steps involve expanding this work to eventually cover all countries, and monitoring inconsistencies on an ongoing basis so that they are not allowed to persist without follow-up with countries.
The Extended Rights to Purchase Policy - Reduction of Blackout Periods in GRA Arrangements - Operational Guidance Note
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This note provides guidance on the operation of the IMF’s Extended Rights to Purchase policy for General Resources Account (GRA) arrangements. Provided certain safeguards are met, this policy extends the period (up to some limits) in which a member may access accumulated but undrawn balances under a GRA arrangement once a new test date is reached but for which the test data are not yet available. In so doing it addresses some access “blackouts” which can affect all GRA arrangements with the Fund, but especially precautionary ones. To assist in program design, other possible access blackouts, not addressed by this policy, are also described in this note.
Review of the Fund’s Income Position for FY 2013 and FY 2014
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews the Fund’s income position for FY 2013 and FY 2014. The paper updates projections provided at the FY 2013 midyear review and proposes decisions for the current and next financial year. The paper includes a comprehensive review of the Fund’s income position as required under the new Rule I-6(4) adopted in December 2011 (see Box 1). Based on this review, no change in the margin for the rate of charge is proposed.

The paper is structured as follows: The first section reviews the FY 2013 income position and the main changes from the midyear projections; the second section makes proposals on the disposition of FY 2013 net income, and placement to reserves; the third section discusses the margin on the rate of charge for FY 2014, updates the income projections, and reviews the projected burden sharing adjustments; and the last section reviews special charges.
Guidance Note for the Liberalization and Management of Capital Flows
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This note provides operational guidance to staff for how to use the Fund’s institutional view on the liberalization and management of capital flows. The institutional view is a consistent basis for providing policy advice on capital flows and policies related to them and assessments when required for surveillance. In the absence of an institutional view, country teams risk providing inconsistent advice to countries in similar circumstances (IEO, 2005). The view does not have mandatory implications for Fund-supported programs or technical assistance. It does not alter members’ rights and obligations under the Fund’s Articles of Agreement or under any other international agreements. The institutional view and guidance will evolve over time to reflect new experience, emerging views of authorities and staff, and research. Staff teams are encouraged to reflect useful lessons from authorities’ experiences with capital flow liberalization and management in Fund reports so that these experiences can continue to influence the Fund’s approach to these issues.
Framework Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

In March 2009, the Fund established a new Framework Administered Account to administer external financial resources for selected Fund activities (the “SFA Instrument”).1 The financing of activities under the terms of the SFA Instrument is implemented through the establishment and operation of a subaccount within the SFA. This paper requests Executive Board approval to establish the Africa Training Institute Subaccount for Selected Fund Activities (the “Subaccount”) under the terms of the SFA Instrument.
Proposed Amendment on the Reform of the IMF Executive Board and Fourteenth General Review of Quotas - Status of Acceptances and Consents
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This status report reviews progress toward implementation of the 2010 Quota and Governance Reforms. It updates the status of consents to the proposed quota increases under the 14th General Review of Quotas and of acceptances of the Proposed Seventh Amendment on the Reform of the Executive Board (“Board Reform Amendment” or “Seventh Amendment”) as set out in the Board of Governors Resolution No. 66-2.

For the proposed quota increases under the 14th General Review of Quotas to become effective, members having not less than 70 percent of the total of quotas on November 5, 2010 must consent to the increases in their quotas and the proposed Board Reform Amendment must have entered into force.1 The proposed Board Reform Amendment enters into force once the Fund certifies that three-fifths of the members (i.e., currently 113 members) representing 85 percent of the total voting power have accepted the proposed amendment.
FY2014-FY2016 Medium-Term Budget
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The proposed FY 14–16 Medium-Term Budget was formulated within the Fund’s strengthened strategic planning framework and seeks to align the allocation of resources to the delivery of institutional priorities. Despite the additional resources that have been provided to meet crisis demands, crisis related work and overall work pressures remain elevated. At the same time, available resources are not being fully utilized. Therefore, the budget strategy—instead of asking for further additional resources—is geared toward making more efficient use of existing resources to reduce work pressures and meet new demands.
Termination of the Administered Account for Liberia
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

On March 14, 2008 the Fund established the Administered Account for Liberia (“Liberia Administered Account” or LAA) to facilitate fundraising for, and delivery of, debt relief to Liberia with respect to obligations owed to the Fund. Specifically, the account was intended to: (i) receive resources contributed for the financing of the IMF’s share of debt relief to Liberia; and (ii) use these resources, as provided for in the Instrument to establish the LAA, to make contributions in the context of debt relief to Liberia under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative, and to deliver “beyond-HIPC” debt relief to Liberia (Attachment). As stipulated in the Instrument (paragraph 10(a)), the LAA shall remain in effect for as long as necessary, in the judgment of the Fund, to conduct and wind up the business of the account. Following Liberia’s successful achievement of the HIPC completion point in June 2010 and the full delivery of “beyond-HIPC” debt relief, which exhausted the balances in the account, the LAA can be terminated as it has no pending business.
Revised Guidelines for Foreign Exchange Reserve Management
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The 2013 revision of the Guidelines was carried out by the IMF staff, supported by a small Working Group of central banks and monetary authorities from China, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the European Central Bank, and the Bank for International Settlements, and The World Bank acting as reviewer in the process. Mr. Franco Passacantando, Managing Director at the Bank of Italy, chaired this Working Group. The revisions to the Guidelines mainly concentrate on: (i) reserve management objectives and strategy, including analyzing and managing risks in the context of reserve diversification; (ii) transparency and accountability, while avoiding reserve management decisions being dictated by the prevailing accounting framework; (iii) institutional and organizational framework issues, especially on avoiding possible inconsistencies between reserve management and other central bank operations; and (iv) the risk management framework, including taking into account ex-ante assessments of the impact of reserve investments on financial markets and building internal credit risk assessment systems to assess counterparty risks
Blackout Periods in GRA Arrangements and the Extended Rights to Purchase Policy - A Review
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper reviews the IMF’s extended rights to purchase (ERP) policy. Established in 2009, the ERP policy extends the continuity of purchase rights during temporary interruptions of access to previously accumulated, but undrawn, balances which occur during periods where data on relevant periodic performance criteria (PCs) is not yet available. This policy specifically provides for access to accumulated but undrawn purchase rights under SBAs and arrangements under the EFF (?extended arrangements?). While enhancing the continuity of a member’s purchase rights, the ERP policy also provides several safeguards aimed at reducing the risk that a member might draw on Fund resources when its Fund-supported program goes off track.
Strengthening the Contractual Framework to Address Collective Action Problems in Sovereign Debt Restructuring
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

This paper identifies contractual reforms designed to address collective action problems in sovereign debt restructuring. Since any decisions regarding the design of contractual provisions will need to be made by the sovereign issuer and its creditors, it is recognized that the Fund’s primary role will be to facilitate agreement on the design and use of these provisions.
Review of the Financial Sector Assessment Program—Further Adaptation to the Post-Crisis Era
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), established in 1999, is an in-depth assessment of a country’s financial sector. It is an important element of the Fund’s surveillance and provides input to the Article IV consultations. In developing and emerging market countries, FSAP assessments are usually conducted jointly with the World Bank and include two components: a financial stability assessment (the main responsibility of the Fund) and a financial development assessment (the main responsibility of the World Bank). Each FSAP concludes with the preparation of a Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA), which focuses on issues of relevance to IMF surveillance and is discussed by the IMF Executive Board normally together with the country’s Article IV staff report.

Since the program’s inception, 144 member countries have requested and undergone FSAPs, most of them more than once. In recent years, the Fund has been conducting 14–16 FSAPs per year at an annual cost of US$13–15 million.

The last review of the FSAP in 2009, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, introduced a number of far-reaching reforms that have clarified the responsibilities of the Fund and the Bank in developing and emerging market countries, where assessments usually take place jointly, established institutional accountability, strengthened the analytical focus and coverage of FSAPs, and introduced the option of modular assessments that has afforded the Fund and national authorities greater flexibility on the scope and timing of assessments.

In 2010, the financial stability assessment under the FSAP in 25 jurisdictions with financial sectors deemed by the Fund to be systemically important became a mandatory part of Article IV surveillance, expected to take place every five years. The list was expanded to 29 jurisdictions in 2013. For all other jurisdictions, FSAP participation continues to be voluntary.In 2010, the financial stability assessment under the FSAP in 25 jurisdictions with financial sectors deemed by the Fund to be systemically important became a mandatory part of Article IV surveillance, expected to take place every five years. The list was expanded to 29 jurisdictions in 2013. For all other jurisdictions, FSAP participation continues to be voluntary.
Quota Formula—Data Update and Further Considerations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The IMF staff has updated individual member country data for the variables used in the quota formula for the period 2000-12. The updated database also incorporates the recently released 2011 International Comparison Program (ICP) global estimates for purchasing power parity rates (PPP) rates.

The staff paper also presents updated calculated quota shares based on the current quota formula. The current quota formula includes a GDP variable, which is a blend of GDP at market rates and GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP), openness, variability, and international reserves. The International Monetary and Financial Committee has called for agreement on a new quota formula as part of the 15th General Review of Quotas. The paper presents a limited set of illustrative simulations of possible reforms of the quota formula using the updated quota data. These simulations are purely illustrative and do not represent proposals.

The new data tables that can be downloaded via the below link include also the comparable value of each variable for the previous quota dataset, which was based on data covering the period 1999-2011. The information is presented in millions of SDRs (Table A1) and in percent of their respective global totals (Tables A2 and A3). A table showing calculated quota shares based on the current quota formula is also included (Table A4).

Data sources and a description of the quota variables are discussed in Quota Formula – Data Update and Further Considerations - Statistical Appendix; IMF Policy Paper; July 2014.

Download Quota Data: Updated IMF Quota Formula Variables - July 2014
2014 Pilot External Sector Report - Individual Economy Assessments
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

The external sector assessments use a range of methods and metrics, including the External Balance Assessment approach developed by the IMF’s Research Department to estimate desirable levels of current account balances and real exchange rates (Box 3 of the 2014 Pilot External Sector Report discusses the use of this methodology). The overall assessments of external positions are based on the judgment of IMF staff drawing on the inputs provided by these model estimates and other analysis, including assessment of international reserves holdings, while taking account of relevant uncertainties. The assessments, which are multilaterally consistent, highlight the role of policies in shaping external positions.
Sovereign Asset-Liability Management - Guidance for Resource-Rich Economies
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

Ample natural resource revenues create both opportunities and challenges for a sovereign to transform its natural resources into well-managed financial assets. Hence, inter-temporal smoothing of revenue and consumption/investment moves to the center stage of macroeconomic policies. The questions arising from natural resource wealth accumulation are becoming more pressing for many countries, given the need to achieve intergenerational equity in a context where commodity prices may not continue their upward trajectory of the past decade. Addressing these questions requires a flexible sovereign asset-liability management (SALM) framework that integrates various macroeconomic and financial trade-offs with the aim of containing financial risk to the sovereign balance sheet. The framework and policy advice aims to guide policymakers across different institutions in weighing those trade-offs.
The Fund’s Lending Framework and Sovereign Debt - Preliminary Considerations
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

As a follow-up to the Executive Board's May 2013 discussion, this paper considers a possible direction for reform of the Fund's lending framework in the context of sovereign debt vulnerabilities. The primary focus of this paper relates to the Fund's exceptional access framework, since it is in this context that the Fund will most likely have to make the difficult judgment as to whether the member's problems can be resolved with or without a debt restructuring. The objective of the preliminary approaches set forth in this paper is to reduce the costs of crisis resolution for both creditors and debtors—relative to the alternatives—thereby benefitting the overall system. These ideas are market-based and their eventual implementation would require meaningful consultation with creditors.
Proposed Modification of the Policy on Provision of Consulting Services by the External Audit Firm
Authors:   International Monetary Fund
Published: September 2019

At an informal Board meeting in January, there was broad support for removing the current blanket prohibition on the provision of non-audit-related consulting services by the Fund’s external audit firm and replacing it with a blacklist approach, subject to robust safeguards to ensure the independence of the external audit firm.

This paper makes specific proposals to implement such a change. This would align the Fund’s policy on the provision of consulting services by the external audit firm with practices followed in major jurisdictions and allow the external auditor to perform certain consulting services with proper safeguards to maintain the auditor’s independence. The proposed safeguards include: (i) a blacklist of prohibited services; (ii) an independence declaration by the external audit firm; (iii) limitations on the consulting fees that can be paid to the external audit firm; (iv) an oversight role for the External Audit Committee (EAC); and (v) review of consulting services provided by audit firms prior to the selection of a new external audit firm for the Fund.

The staff sought the views of the EAC, which concurs with the proposal to modify the policy on the provision of consulting services by the external audit firm along with the related safeguards.