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IMF Staff Concludes Visit to Solomon Islands
March 5, 2021
Blog: Engendering the Recovery: Budgeting with Women in Mind
March 5, 2021
By Antoinette Sayeh, Jiro Honda, Carolina Renteria, Vincent Tang International Women’s Day, March 8, marks a year from the start of widespread lockdowns in response to COVID-19. As an IMF blog warned back in July, women have borne the economic and social brunt of the pandemic. With many governments preparing budgets for the next fiscal [...]
Policy Advice to Asia in the COVID-19 Era
March 5, 2021
The Asia-Pacific region was the first to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic; it put a strain on its people and economies, and policymaking became exceptionally
difficult. This departmental paper contains the assessment of the key challenges facing Asia at this critical juncture and policy advice to the region both to address the current challenges and to build the foundations for a more sustainable and inclusive future. The paper focuses on (1) adjusting to the COVID-19 shock, (2) using unconventional policies when policy space is limited, (3) dealing with debt, and (4) helping the vulnerable and greening the recovery.
The paper first presents the different ways countries are adjusting to the COVID-19 shock.
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (September 2018)
March 5, 2021
Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on September 21, 2018, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its third semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report covered additional issues relating to both the adequacy of Fund resources and the quota formula and realigning quota shares, discussed in an informal meeting on July 30, 2018.
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (October 2017)
March 5, 2021
Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on October 4, 2017, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its first semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report covered issues related to the quota formula and realigning quota shares as well as issues related to the adequacy of Fund resources, discussed in informal meetings on September 1 and on September 15, 2017, respectively.
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas— Additional Considerations and Data Update
March 5, 2021
This paper provides background for a further round of discussions on the Fifteenth
General Review of Quotas (hereafter 15th Review). The paper builds on work presented
in previous staff papers and Directors’ views expressed in three meetings of the
Committee of the Whole in September 2017 and February 2018. No proposals are
presented at this stage, pending further Board guidance on possible approaches to
narrowing the current differences of views.
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Further Considerations
March 5, 2021
The paper revisits the two-pillar framework for assessing the adequacy of Fund resources. Responding to Directors suggestions, the quantitative pillar is updated to include alternative assumptions and to provide a longer-term perspective on likely resource needs. While quantitative estimates are generally somewhat lower after factoring in the alternative assumptions, these reductions are more than outweighed when the analysis is extended through the middle of the next decade, recognizing that the outcome of the 15th Review will likely determine permanent Fund resources through at least the middle of the next decade. The updated qualitative pillar analysis highlights reforms since the global financial crisis and discusses uncertainties in the global environment. It also provides an assessment of the general impact of the various qualitative considerations. Taken together, the two pillars continue to make a case for at least maintaining existing Fund resources. Against this background, the simulations in the paper cover three illustrative sizes for quota increases (50, 75, and 100 percent), centered on broadly maintaining Fund resources, assuming the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) is maintained at its current level and Bilateral Borrowing Agreements (BBAs) expire.
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Quota Formula and Realigning Shares
March 5, 2021
This paper provides background for an initial discussion under the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas (15th Review) in line with the work plan agreed by the Executive Board. It discusses issues related to further reforms of the quota formula and realigning quota shares, based on updated quota data through 2015. A companion paper, to be discussed separately, will address issues related to the size of the Fund and mix of quota and borrowed resources. Both these papers seek to facilitate initial discussions on some of the key issues for the 15th Review. No proposals are made at this stage, recognizing that further deliberations will be needed before the issues under discussion can begin to be narrowed down.
2019 Quota Data Update
March 5, 2021
The paper presents summary results for the updated data set, with country-by-country
details provided in Appendix I. In terms of broad country groups, the results of the data
update are broadly consistent with trends observed in previous updates. The aggregate
share of Emerging Market and Developing Countries (EMDCs) increased by 0.3 pp, to
50.0 percent, following a small decline in the EMDCs’ share recorded in the 2018 data
update. The rising EMDC share reflected again foremost an increase for Asia. Most
advanced economies recorded a small decrease in their calculated quota share using
the current quota formula.
Adequacy of Fund Resources – Preliminary Considerations
March 5, 2021
This paper provides background for initial considerations on the appropriate size of the Fund’s overall lending capacity over the medium term. The paper reviews developments in the demand for Fund resources during the global crisis. The paper also argues that the global economy is changing in fundamental ways, with implications for the size of the Fund. Against this background, the analysis suggests that the current overall lending capacity of the Fund should be seen as a minimum. Additional resources would be needed if the Fund were to introduce changes to its lending framework.
While the financing structure of the Fund should be largely quota-based, staff sees a strong case for continuing to backstop quota resources with a standing borrowing facility. Maintaining the Fund’s current overall lending capacity would require swift action by the membership.