IMF Survey Magazine: Policy

IMFSurvey Magazine: Policy

The failure of Lehman Brothers sparked debate on the risks a firm can pose to global financial stability (photo: Nicholas Roberts/AFP)

‘Too Complex to Fail’ the Real Issue, Says IMF

November 10, 2009

Governments should consider the potential of financial institutions to severely damage global financial and economic stability in assessing when firms are "too complex to fail," the IMF said, launching a paper to help determine which firms and markets are systemically important.

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Global financial crisis

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IMF to Assess G-20 Progress on Recovery, Mulls Financial Levy

November 07, 2009
G-20 finance officials pledge to maintain economic stimulus measures until recovery from the global crisis is assured and ask the IMF to assess whether countries are on track to avoid future problems. IMF looks into levy on financial sector

IMF Countries Back Recovery Moves, Governance Reforms

October 04, 2009
A key policy committee of the IMF, meeting in Istanbul with the world economy now on a recovery path, committed to maintaining stimulative policies until recovery is assured and backed moves to reform country representation at the 186-member Fund.

IMF-Backed Programs Widen Policy Options to Counter Crises

October 01, 2009
As the global economic crisis hits low-income countries harder than expected, the designs of IMF-supported programs have created space in many countries for countercyclical policies to address the impact of the global food, fuel, and financial crises, an IMF study says.

Reformed IMF Lending Has Worked Well In Crisis

September 28, 2009
Recent IMF-supported programs in emerging market countries are delivering the support needed to help these countries weather the worst of the global financial crisis, according to an IMF staff study. Increased resources, supportive policies, and more focused conditionality are the main reasons cited.

Close Ties Led to Crisis in World’s Five Major Economies

September 21, 2009
Integrated financial and banking systems and close trade ties were major factors in spreading the worst financial crisis in 60 years, a new IMF study finds.

Low-Income Countries Need Extra Support to Cope With Crisis

September 17, 2009
Rich countries need to step up their support to poorer countries so they can quickly rebound from the crisis that came from the advanced economies, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn says in a speech at a development think tank in Washington D.C.

Istanbul Meetings to Develop Strategy for Recovery Period

September 09, 2009
One year after the global economy came close to a meltdown, political leaders and financial officials from around the world will attend a series of meetings to assess what to do next as recovery takes hold, culminating in the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Istanbul.

IMF Injecting $283 Billion in SDRs into Global Economy, Boosting Reserves

August 28, 2009
With much of the world still mired in recession, the IMF took action to bolster its members' reserves through an allocation of SDRs, or Special Drawing Rights. The allocation, equivalent to $250 billion, was made on August 28 and will be followed by an additional, albeit much smaller allocation of $33 billion on September 9.

IMF Backs New Package To Support World's Poorest During Crisis

July 29, 2009
The IMF, stepping up lending to low-income countries to combat the impact of the global recession, announces a new framework for loans to the world’s poorest nations, including increased resources, a doubling of borrowing limits, zero interest rates until the end of 2011, and more flexible terms.

Fully Spend Stimulus Money to Back Crisis Recovery, Says IMF

June 26, 2009
With advanced economies still struggling, the IMF is urging governments to fully implement the spending measures they have announced to combat the global economic crisis and not to relax in supporting an incipient recovery.

World Economy Can Bounce Back Strongly, Says Dervis

October 05, 2009
Despite worries that the global economy has been scarred by the financial crisis for many years, it is more likely to bounce back strongly and grow rapidly over the next 10 years, says former Turkish Economy Minister Kemal Dervis during a lecture at the IMF-World Bank Meetings in Istanbul.

IMF Chief Puts Focus on Building Stable Post-Crisis World

October 02, 2009
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, in Istanbul for the IMF’s annual meetings, outlined three principles for building on close international cooperation during the global economic crisis to move toward sustainable and broad-based growth in the post-crisis world.

IMF Says Financial Surveillance To Be More Focused, Candid

September 29, 2009
To keep pace with rapid changes in global finance, the IMF is improving its ability to monitor countries' financial stability, and plans to make its reports more focused and candid after drawing lessons from the global crisis.

Revive Securitization to Speed Exit from Crisis, says IMF

September 21, 2009
Restarting securitization markets, particularly in the United States, is critical to limiting the fallout from the economic crisis and to the eventually withdrawing central bank and government support, the IMF says.

IMF to Proceed with Limited Sales of Gold

September 18, 2009
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the sale of a limited portion of the institution’s gold holdings, stressing that the Fund will conduct the sales in a manner that does not disrupt the international gold market.

Governments Need Plan to Dispose of Crisis Assets, Shed Risk: IMF

September 15, 2009
After propping up the financial system during the global crisis, governments now need a plan to dispose of the assets they took over and reduce their large risk exposures, according to an IMF study.

Rising Unemployment Marks Crisis Third Wave, Says IMF Chief

September 05, 2009
Policy action to combat the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression is working, but governments should not relax stimulus measures until recovery takes hold and unemployment levels recede, the head of the IMF says at a meeting of G-20 ministers in London.

U.S. Proposal to Extend Financial Regulation Breaks New Ground

August 18, 2009
The proposal by the United States to bring under stronger supervision large, systemically important firms, such as insurance companies and other financial institutions that are not banks, breaks new ground, the IMF said.

IMF Plans to Inject $250 Billion Into Global Economy

July 20, 2009
The International Monetary Fund plans to inject $250 billion into the global economy to bolster countries’ reserves as part of measures to combat the world economic crisis. The IMF’s Executive Board backed an allocation of Special Drawing Rights to provide liquidity to the global economic system.

Tax Policies Made Countries More Vulnerable to Crisis

June 16, 2009
Tax policies in the advanced economis are likely to have contributed to the global economic crisis by favoring debt financing and encouraging the use of complex financial instruments and arrangements, an IMF study argues.

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