The IMF Regional Technical Assistance and Training Centers
Six regional technical assistance centers in the Pacific, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East help countries strengthen human and institutional capacity to design and implement policies that promote growth and reduce poverty. One new center will open in May 2009 and three new regional centers are still expected. Seven regional training institutes also provide courses, workshops, and seminars for officials. |
Why a regional approach?
The IMF‘s regional approach to technical assistance and training allows for better tailoring of assistance to the particular needs of a region, closer coordination with other assistance providers, and enhanced ability to respond quickly to emerging needs.
The Pacific and Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centers
The Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Center (PFTAC) was established in Suva, Fiji, in 1993, to serve 15 Pacific island countries, including the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. It is funded by the Asian Development Bank, Australia, the IMF, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.
The Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Center (CARTAC) was established in Bridgetown, Barbados in 2001, to serve 21 Caribbean island countries, including Anguilla, Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is providing the largest share of the Centre's funding. Other contributors over the life of CARTAC include the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ireland, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Kingdom (DFID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United States (USAID), the European Union (EU), the World Bank (WB) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The Government of Barbados finances the costs of office facilities, while the other 20 beneficiary countries make annual contributions to the Centre’s operating expenses.
The Africa Regional Technical Assistance Centers
The African Regional Technical Assistance Centers are part of the IMF’s Africa Capacity-Building Initiative launched in May 2002. Responding to calls from African leaders, including under the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Initiative promotes strengthening the capacity of African countries to design and implement their poverty-reducing strategies, as well as to improve the coordination of capacity-building technical assistance in the PRSP process.
As part of the Initiative, three African Regional Technical Assistance Centers (AFRITACs) have been established. East AFRITAC, opened in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2002, now serves seven countries in East Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda). West AFRITAC was opened in Bamako, Mali, in 2003, to serve ten countries in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d' Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo). Most recently, Central AFRITAC was opened in Libreville, Gabon, in 2007, to serve countries in the CEMAC group, plus Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The AFRITACs are financed by contributions from 24 donor partners, the IMF, as well as by in-kind contributions by host governments.
The centers’ activities take place in close cooperation with the African Development Bank and donor partners. This facilitates a coordinated design, implementation, and monitoring of ongoing technical assistance programs in member countries. Some training activities are carried out jointly with the Africa Capacity Building Foundation, of which the IMF is a member.
The Middle East Technical Assistance Center
The Middle East Technical Assistance Center (METAC) was established in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2004 to serve ten countries/territories in the Middle East (Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen). METAC’s main objective is to help strengthen capacity for effective macroeconomic and financial management in the region, and to support the region’s integration into the world economy. A particular focus is to help post-conflict countries in the region achieve macroeconomic stability and develop basic institutions for policy-making. METAC’s location is designed to enhance coordination among development partners and to promote effective implementation of economic initiatives within the Middle East region. METAC is financed by contributions from 13 donor partners and beneficiary countries.
The Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic Technical Assistance Center
The Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic Technical Assistance Center (CAPTAC-DR) will start operations in May 2009 in Guatemala. It will serve Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Center’s technical assistance will focus on financial sector regulation and supervision, tax and customs policy and administration, public financial management, money and public debt markets, and macroeconomic statistics. Improved institutions and increased regional integration are the objectives. The Center is already funded by three donor partners and in-kind contributions from the host country; several more donors are expected.
New Technical Assistance Centers
The Fund is planning to open three new centers: two in Africa, and one in Central Asia.
The IMF’s regional training centers
In addition to training offered at the IMF Institute in Washington D.C., the IMF also offers policy-oriented training in economics and related operational fields through courses, workshops, and seminars for country officials through a network of seven regional training institutes and programs. These are: the IMF-Singapore Regional Training Institute; the Joint Africa Institute (in Tunisia); the Joint China-IMF Training Program (in Dalian, China); the Joint IMF-Arab Monetary Fund Regional Training Program (in the United Arab Emirates), the Joint India-IMF Training Program (in Pune, India), the Joint Regional Training Center for Latin America (in Brazil), and the Joint Vienna Institute (in Austria).
The regional training institutes and programs are operated in collaboration with and
co-financed by various training partners and other external donors.