The Stand by Credit Facility (SCF)

Source details

The Stand-by Credit Facility (SCF) provides financial assistance to low-income countries (LICs) with short-term balance of payments needs.
The SCF is one of the facilities under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT).
The last update was in April 2025.

Support countries’ economic programs consistent with strong and durable growth and poverty reduction.
Help catalyze foreign aid.

A member country with a potential but not immediate balance of payments need can use it on a precautionary basis.

The IMF’s program conditionality is focused on policy actions that are critical to achieving the program’s objectives. It normally consists of prior actions, quantitative conditions (performance criteria and indicative targets) and structural benchmarks.
A Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (PRGS) should be issued to the IMF’s Executive Board for completion of the second and subsequent reviews for arrangements with an initial duration of more than two years. A PRGS describes macroeconomic, structural, and social policies that support growth and poverty reduction, associated external financing needs and major sources of financing.

Repayment
Interest rate/Fee
Access: Use of the SCF is limited to 3 years out of any 6-year period, assessed on a rolling basis with exceptions for SCF arrangements treated as precautionary.

The Stand-by Credit Facility
- The Stand-by Credit Facility (Markdown version)
- The Stand-by Credit Facility (PDF)