Download or read book Safeguards Assessments 2013 Update written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2013-07-10 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The safeguards policy, introduced in 2000, is designed to reduce the risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of program monetary data to the Fund. It supports the Fund’s approach to prudent lending and complements other safeguards, including program design, conditionality, and access limits. Safeguards assessments are required for almost all member countries seeking Fund financing, and are followed by a period of monitoring for as long as Fund credit is outstanding

Download or read book Safeguards Assessments Policy External Expert Panel s Advisory Report written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-09-24 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report by the external expert panel (“the panel”) examines the effectiveness and appropriateness of the safeguards assessments policy in the five years since its last review in 2010. In addition to expressing an opinion on the effectiveness and appropriateness of the safeguards assessment policy, the panel also makes recommendations to the Executive Board for its consideration to improve and optimize the benefits to be garnered from the safeguards assessment policy. The panel’s opinion is based on (i) consultations with key stakeholders, including central bank authorities, IMF Executive Directors’ offices, Fund and World Bank staff; (ii) examination of safeguards assessment and other Fund-specific documents; and (iii) study of international reference materials.

Download or read book Safeguards Assessments 2014 Update written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-05-09 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The safeguards policy aims to mitigate the potential risks of misuse of resources, including Fund resources, and misreporting of program monetary data. The policy, introduced in 2000, is an integral part of the Fund’s financing policies and complements other safeguards, such as program design, conditionality, and access limits. Safeguards assessments of central banks of the borrowing member are required for almost all forms of Fund financing, and are followed by a period of monitoring for as long as Fund credit is outstanding.

Download or read book Safeguards Assessment 2019 Update written by Mr.George M Kabwe and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2019-12-17 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Safeguards assessments are a key pillar of the risk management arrangements for IMF lending. Safeguards assessments aim to mitigate the risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of program monetary data under Fund arrangements. Safeguards assessment reports are confidential and therefore the IMF Executive Board is provided with a periodic report on safeguards activities on a biennial basis, in addition to high-level summaries in member country staff reports on key findings and recommendations. This update on safeguards activity covers the period May 2017 to end-April 2019 (the period).

Download or read book Safeguards Assessments 2012 Update written by International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2012-08-31 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The safeguards policy was introduced in 2000 to reduce the risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of program monetary data to the Fund. It supports the Fund’s approach to prudent lending and complements other safeguards such as program design, conditionality, and access limits, to name a few. Some 242 assessments of 92 central banks have been completed since 2000. Assessments are followed by a period of monitoring for as long as Fund credit is outstanding.

Download or read book Safeguards Assessment 2017 Update written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2017-10-26 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: activity remained consistent with recent years. 21 assessments were completed during the update period (September 2015-April 2017) and five were in progress at the end of the period. Activity continues to average around 13 assessments per year. While the number of central banks under monitoring decreased slightly from 67 to 63, some monitoring cases required intense engagement due to safeguards challenges that emerged. These related to forensic investigations, governance reforms, and a deterioration in safeguards frameworks of central banks facing difficult external conditions.

Download or read book Background Papers on The IMF and the Crises in Greece Ireland and Portugal written by Moisés J. Schwartz and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume book brings together nine background papers prepared for an evaluation by the IMF Independent Evaluation Office of “the IMF and the crises in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal.” It presents an authoritative work on the evolving relationship between the IMF and the euro area, a common currency area founded in 1999 consisting of advanced, highly integrated economies in Europe. The euro area, or any common currency area for that matter, has posed challenges to the IMF’s operational activities as its Articles of Agreement contain no provision for joint membership. The challenges became intense when a series of crises erupted in Greece, Ireland, and Portugal from 2009 to 2011, and the Fund was called upon to help intervene by offering its financing and crisis management expertise. The IMF found itself in uncharted territory where there was no precedent or established procedure. The chapters, many of which are prepared by prominent academics and former senior IMF officials who are thoroughly familiar with internal procedures, discuss various aspects of the IMF’s engagement with the euro area, including precrisis surveillance, how key decisions were made, how the IMF collaborated with European institutions, and how it designed and implemented its lending programs with the three crisis countries. The book gives prominence to governance-related issues, given the large voting share (of more than 20 percent) within the IMF of euro area members and the subsequent public perception that the IMF treated the euro area more favorably than it does developing and emerging market members. The approaches are both cross-cutting and country-based. Some chapters deal with issues related to the euro area as a whole, while others focus on how the Fund engaged with individual euro area countries. The book contains a statement on the IEO evaluation by the IMF Managing Director and a Summing Up of the Executive Board discussion held in July 2016.

Download or read book Safeguards Assessments 2022 Review of Experience written by International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2022-12-16 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews experience with the safeguards assessment policy since the last review in 2015. The policy is subject to periodic reviews by the Executive Board. The policy’s main objective is to mitigate risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of monetary data under Fund arrangements. Consistent with past reviews, an external panel of experts provided an independent perspective on the implementation of the policy.

Download or read book Safeguards Assessments Review of Experience written by International Monetary Fund and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-09-23 with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper reviews experience with the safeguards assessment policy since the last review in 2010. The policy is subject to periodic reviews by the Executive Board. The policy’s main objective is to mitigate risks of misuse of Fund resources and misreporting of monetary data under Fund arrangements. Consistent with past reviews, an external panel of experts provided an independent perspective on the implementation of the policy.

Download or read book Liberia written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2019-06-19 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Liberia remains a fragile, post-conflict country with weak capacity and limited physical and human capital accumulation. External assistance to Liberia is winding down from its peak in 2016. To address pressing needs, the government launched its Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), focusing on physical and human capital accumulation. Policy uncertainty and slippages, however, imposed a significant toll on the economy over the past two years. Particularly, higher fiscal deficits and accommodative monetary policy have led to rapid depreciation of the Liberia dollar and increased inflation, eroding the purchasing power of the poor.

Download or read book Republic of Yemen written by International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-09-24 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: KEY ISSUES Background: Yemen has made good progress since the 2011 crisis in advancing the political transition. However, the fledgling economic recovery remained insufficient to make a dent in unemployment and poverty, and fundamental reforms were postponed for fear of derailing the National Dialogue that was central to the political transition. The macroeconomic situation weakened further since early 2014, with increased sabotage of oil facilities leading to a decline in oil revenue and, therefore, a deterioration in the fiscal and external positions and severe fuel and electricity shortages. To address the difficult economic situation, the authorities have adopted a bold reform agenda to preserve macroeconomic stability and set the stage for boosting growth, employment creation, and poverty alleviation. They requested Fund support under an ECF arrangement with access of 150 percent of quota in consideration of the strength of the reforms and large financing needs. Outlook and Risks: Growth and other macroeconomic indicators are projected to improve steadily over the medium term as a result of the reform efforts and improvements in security. Institutional capacity constraints and/or deterioration in security or the political environment could delay reform implementation, in particular energy subsidy reforms. Such delays could destabilize the economy and necessitate even stronger adjustments later on. Policy Discussions: Discussions focused mainly on sequencing and speed of reforms in view of the large financing needs of the budget. Since the successful implementation of the RCF in 2012, there has been an ongoing dialogue with the authorities and a broad agreement on priority reforms, with differences of views on the timing and feasibility of the various reforms during the political transition. After the recent progress achieved in advancing political transition, and the increased economic challenges, the authorities have decided to move ahead with a strong reform program. The program aims to reduce the fiscal deficit to more manageable levels and reorient public spending from generalized subsidies to infrastructure investment and direct social transfers, with the objective to generate growth and employment and better benefit the poor. The authorities also agreed with staff on the need to improve fiscal performance by eliminating ghost workers and double dippers from the civil service payroll, and by increasing nonhydrocarbon revenue. Other agreed reforms aim at ensuring financial sector soundness and improving intermediation and the business environment to support growth and job creation. Other Article IV Issues: An updated debt sustainability analysis indicates that the risk of debt distress continues to be moderate. Plans to introduce fiscal federalism need to ensure appropriate expenditure and debt-contracting policies and controls. A gradual increase in exchange rate flexibility over the medium term would help protect competitiveness and reserves, and would support growth and job creation. More efforts are needed to further improve economic data and to strengthen capacity in AML/CFT.

Download or read book Republic of Armenia written by International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-03-31 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper discusses Armenia’s Request for Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Performance under the 2010–2013 program, which was supported by arrangements under the EFF and Extended Credit Facility (ECF), was sound, with growth restored, large fiscal and external imbalances reduced, and buffers rebuilt. However, challenges remain, particularly in further reducing vulnerabilities and strengthening medium-term growth dynamics. Fiscal policy will support the growth recovery in 2014 by providing a modest stimulus, before moving to a gradual consolidation stance in 2015–2017. The IMF Staff supports the authorities’ request for an IMF-supported program.

Download or read book Pakistan written by International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2017-07-13 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that Pakistan’s outlook for economic growth is favorable. Real GDP is estimated at 5.3 percent in FY2016/17 and strengthening to 6 percent over the medium term on the back of stepped-up China Pakistan Economic Corridor investments, improved availability of energy, and growth-supporting structural reforms. Inflation has been gradually increasing but remains contained, and the financial sector has remained sound. Key external risks include lower trading partner growth, tighter international financial conditions, a faster rise in international oil prices, and over the medium term, failure to generate sufficient exports to meet rising external obligations from large-scale foreign-financed investments.

Download or read book Gabon written by International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-02-25 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2014 Article IV Consultation highlights that Gabon’s growth performance has recently been strong, but fiscal pressures have increased significantly. Real GDP growth has averaged about 6 percent in the last four years on the back of substantial scaling-up of capital spending as the authorities implement their strategy Plan Stratégique Gabon Emergent to promote economic diversification and growth inclusiveness. The medium-term growth outlook has weakened as a result of the sharp decline in oil prices, but is expected to remain relatively strong. Growth is expected to be driven by a number of projects under way in agro-industry, mining, and wood processing.

Download or read book Jamaica written by International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper presents Jamaica’s Third Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility and Request for Modification of Performance Criteria report. The IMF staff report highlights that recent data is in-line with GDP growth of some 1 percent in 2013–2014. Inflation has increased since 2012 due to the depreciation of the exchange rate as well as higher administered prices, but has moderated in recent months. The policy agenda under the program is now shifting to reforms in several areas including tax and customs administration, public financial management, securities dealers, the framework for monetary policy, and the business environment.

Download or read book Sri Lanka written by International Monetary Fund. Asia and Pacific Dept and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2014-09-18 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: KEY ISSUES Context. Macroeconomic performance has generally exceeded expectations. Real GDP grew 7.3 percent for 2013, up from 6.3 percent in 2012. Inflation declined to below 5 percent, and the external current account balance has improved. Private credit growth has been slow, however, a number of financial sector indicators have deteriorated. Outlook and Risks. Growth is expected to remain robust at 7 percent and inflation to remain in the mid-single digits. The external current account should improve marginally, allowing for further accumulation of foreign exchange reserves. Near-term risks appear moderate, although there may be some bumps in the road from market turbulence and climatic events. Medium-term risks relate to the potential for tighter external liquidity, the challenge of further fiscal and debt consolidation while maintaining high levels of investment in infrastructure and human capital, maintaining a balanced monetary policy, and staying competitive in a shifting economic landscape. Key Policy Recommendations. • Fiscal consolidation and debt reduction need to continue, but the burden of adjustment needs to shift decisively to revenue generation. Debt targets could potentially be recast to achieve deeper reduction over a longer period. • Monetary policy needs to maintain a balance between supporting growth and containing inflation. A continued forward-looking approach is needed given long lags in monetary transmission. • Financial sector consolidation could lead to economies of scale, greater resilience, and more effective supervision, but corporate governance needs to continue to improve, and careful supervision in the post-consolidation period will be key. • Maintaining competitiveness and achieving a more sustainable external position will require a mix of continued innovation, sustained investment in infrastructure and human capital, a predictable business environment, and ideally a heavier emphasis on direct investment and equity portfolio flows than debt.

Download or read book Haiti written by International Monetary Fund. Western Hemisphere Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-01-05 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the final review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. The program contributed to maintaining macroeconomic stability, and there was progress on structural reforms. The authorities intend to request a successor arrangement under the ECF. A new finance minister was appointed in April; uncertainly remains on the timing of elections. Preliminary data suggest that GDP in FY2014 grew by 3.5–4 percent, while inflation increased slightly to about 5 percent. An increase in fuel prices (in October) should result in fiscal savings of at least 1 percent of GDP during FY2015. The March performance criterion on net international reserves (NIR) was met, but although the deficit was lower than projected, the performance criterion on net central bank credit to the central government was missed. Downside risks are significant and include a pull-back of Venezuela-related flows, a resumption of political tensions, and vulnerability to weather events. A total of SDR 1.638 million will become available upon completion of this review, bringing total disbursements under the ECF to SDR 40.950 million. Key Policy Recommendations: • The policy mix, in particular the adjustment going forward, should come from a lower fiscal deficit rather than from a tighter monetary policy. The FY2015 fiscal deficit should be reduced to mitigate financing risks as part of a medium-term plan to restore fiscal sustainability. • The central bank should let the exchange rate adjust more to market pressures. Intervention should be parsimonious, geared at avoiding excess volatility and disorderly movements in the exchange rate; it should be guided by fundamentals in the medium term. • Progress on structural reforms (including on the energy sector and on public financial management) should catalyze more donor support and is essential for supporting growth. A possible new ECF arrangement would entrench macroeconomic stability and promote policies to generate sustained GDP growth.