IMF Survey Magazine

Comparing Recessions in Germany, Spain, and United Kingdom

18 Nov 2009 09:49:03 EST

While the global financial crisis and recession have hit all of Europe’s economies, the impact has varied considerably across countries. Output and employment, for instance, have moved quite differently in Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, three of the larger European countries, according to IMF research.

IMF Backs Continued Chinese Stimulus, Economic Rebalancing

17 Nov 2009 18:00:47 EST

The head of the IMF welcomes China’s pledge to continue with its stimulus package in 2010 and says the Chinese would gain from a reorienting of their economy away from exports to domestic consumption

Experts Warn Financial System Risks Still High

10 Nov 2009 12:26:57 EST

Governments need to rethink how the financial sector intersects with the broader economy if future crises are to be avoided, economists agreed at a panel discussion at the International Monetary Fund’s recently held Economic Forum.

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

10 Nov 2009 09:16:35 EST

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.

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

07 Nov 2009 19:16:51 EST

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 Loan Helps Sri Lankan Reconstruction Drive

06 Nov 2009 17:02:19 EST

A loan from the IMF is helping rebuild confidence in Sri Lanka’s economy as it recovers from conflict and paves the way for donor assistance in its reconstruction effort.

IMF Urges Ukraine To Stick With Recovery Policies

04 Nov 2009 10:32:58 EST

The IMF urges Ukrainian policymakers to try to forge a consensus to support economic recovery and avoid measures that would fuel inflation and unemployment. IMF Mission Chief Ceyla Pazarbasioglu discusses the status of the Ukrainian economic program and the way forward.

Asia Recovering Rapidly, but Faces Challenges, says IMF

29 Oct 2009 01:30:17 EST

After being hit hard by the global economic crisis, Asia is now rebounding fast, according to the IMF. The region is outpacing other parts of the world, with the “green shoots” of recovery appearing earlier and taking firmer root than elsewhere.

Agreement with Banks Limits Crisis in Emerging Europe

28 Oct 2009 15:13:59 EST

In an interview, Erik Berglöf (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) and Anne-Marie Gulde (IMF) discuss the impact of the European Bank Coordination Initiative, which has played a key role in helping emerging Europe avert systemic crisis.

Health, Social Spending Vital in IMF-Supported Programs

27 Oct 2009 12:06:52 EST

Several organizations and researchers have studied the effects that IMF programs may have on health in individual countries, and the IMF itself is also monitoring its role in this regard as part of its assessment of programs in member countries.

Latin America, Caribbean Face Post-Crisis Challenges

23 Oct 2009 17:29:29 EST

The worst of the global economic crisis is over for Latin American and the Caribbean. The region is recovering and will return to growth in 2010, the IMF said in an analysis. Nicolás Eyzaguirre also writes about prospects for the region in the Fund’s blog, iMFdirect.

Peace, Economic Stability Interconnected, Says Strauss-Kahn

23 Oct 2009 12:56:18 EST

The world is recovering from the global economic crisis thanks to the bold and coordinated efforts of world leaders, said IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Preserving international cooperation would be important for maintaining a peaceful world.

Iceland: Quiet Progress on Key Reforms

21 Oct 2009 09:30:08 EST

A new government has been working with quiet determination to rebuild Iceland’s crisis-hit economy in consultation with the IMF. In an interview, IMF mission chief for Iceland Mark Flanagan talks about how far the country has come since its banking crisis last October.

Fiscal Challenge Next For Policymakers

14 Oct 2009 13:00:20 EST

It is still too soon to unwind stimulus policies, but policymakers need to think about returning fiscal and monetary positions to nearer normal. In an interview, the IMF’s Carlo Cottarelli and José Viňals look at the fiscal and monetary consequences of the global economic crisis.

Goal Is Efficient Credit Delivery, Not Just Profit

13 Oct 2009 12:11:52 EST

U.S. firms that benefit most from the complexity of thousands of deals seem to forget that the purpose of the exercise is to deliver credit and credit investment efficiently, not just to make profit for intermediaries, writes Robert Kent from New York City.

Sound Policies Soften Crisis Impact on Middle East

11 Oct 2009 09:13:34 EST

Oil exporters in the Middle East and North Africa have been hit by the global crisis through a sharp drop in oil prices and lower capital inflows, but the blow has been softened by countercyclical government spending, the IMF’s new regional outlook says.

Did Foreign Reserves Help Weather the Crisis?

08 Oct 2009 10:30:39 EST

Did the large accumulation of international reserves in many emerging economies mitigate the impact of the financial crisis? While country authorities believe reserves have helped, hard econometric evidence that they have seems hard to come by.

Several Countries Provide Funding to IMF for Poorer Nations

06 Oct 2009 12:29:48 EST

Several countries step forward to provide additional funding to support the IMF’s concessional lending to low-income countries that have been battered by the global economic crisis. IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomes these commitments, and calls on other nations to come forward.

'Istanbul Decisions' to Guide IMF as Countries Shape Post-Crisis World

06 Oct 2009 10:02:55 EST

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn tells policymakers from 186 countries gathered in Istanbul that global cooperation has saved the world from a far worse crisis and leaders should now seize the opportunity to shape a post-crisis world.

New Journal to Showcase IMF’s Role in Crisis

05 Oct 2009 17:00:10 EST

The Fund’s new premier Research Journal—the IMF Economic Review—will tackle a broad agenda of global macro and financial issues and aim to reach a wider audience, says the journal’s editor, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.