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Cover IMF How To Notes
How to Apply Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity
Patrick Petit, Mario Mansour, and Mr. Philippe Wingender
Fighting the obesity epidemic has so far proven a difficult challenge, given the diversity of natural and processed foods, the complexity of food supply chains, and the fact that targeting excessive caloric consumption is far trickier than reducing overall consumption (as for tobacco). Nevertheless, efforts to curb caloric intake are gearing up and the experience from tobacco control has drawn much attention on a potential role for excise taxes in fighting obesity. Many related questions have therefore been raised as part of the IMF’s capacity development work: Should excises on unhealthy food be used to fight obesity? If so, under what conditions? What are the product and market characteristics that would help identify the relevant tax bases and the rates at which to tax them? While acknowledging that the scientific evidence keeps evolving, this note summarizes the ongoing debate and practice on food excises and on their potential role as a policy tool to fight the obesity epidemic, with a view to assist policymakers in deciding whether to go forward, and if so, how.How to Apply Excise Taxes to Fight Obesity
Keywords:
health, obesity, excise taxes; obesity epidemic; publication order; excise taxes to fight obesity; publication service; food excise taxes; Excises; Consumption; Agricultural commodities; Value-added tax; Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Mali: Request for Second Tranche of Debt Service Relief Under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the August 2020 coup d’état have disrupted more than half a decade of strong economic performance, during which growth averaged 5 percent.1 Growth is projected to decline from 5 percent to -2 percent in 2020 both on account of the pandemic (reflecting a slowdown in external demand, travel, and FDI, as well as the impact of uncertainty and reduced mobility on domestic demand) and of post-coup disruptions in trade, transport, economic and financial flows following the sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Inflation accelerated slightly in recent months but is expected to remain below 2 percent, while the current account deficit is projected to narrow due to higher gold prices (main export) and lower oil prices (main import). Risks around the outlook are exceptionally high in light of the uncertainty surrounding the political transition, the impact of the sanctions on trade and overall activity, and continued deterioration in the security situation. Weak social safety nets amid high informality, food insecurity and a fragile healthcare system exacerbate challenges.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; IMF lending tracker; tranche of debt service relief; eligible debt service; six-month tranche; expenditure report
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Mali: Request for Second Tranche of Debt Service Relief Under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the August 2020 coup d’état have disrupted more than half a decade of strong economic performance, during which growth averaged 5 percent.1 Growth is projected to decline from 5 percent to -2 percent in 2020 both on account of the pandemic (reflecting a slowdown in external demand, travel, and FDI, as well as the impact of uncertainty and reduced mobility on domestic demand) and of post-coup disruptions in trade, transport, economic and financial flows following the sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Inflation accelerated slightly in recent months but is expected to remain below 2 percent, while the current account deficit is projected to narrow due to higher gold prices (main export) and lower oil prices (main import). Risks around the outlook are exceptionally high in light of the uncertainty surrounding the political transition, the impact of the sanctions on trade and overall activity, and continued deterioration in the security situation. Weak social safety nets amid high informality, food insecurity and a fragile healthcare system exacerbate challenges.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; IMF lending tracker; tranche of debt service relief; eligible debt service; six-month tranche; expenditure report; debt service relief; relief for Mali; Debt service; Debt relief; COVID-19; West Africa
Cover Finance & Development
The Need to Change Health Care Priorities in LDCs
Charles C. Griffin

Strengthening the private sector in hospital and other curative services will allow governments to redirect resources toward public health

Keywords:
FD; F&D; debt; country; exchange rate; enterprise; economy; hospital service; government hospital; government health budget; government contract; hospital patient; Health care; Budget planning and preparation; Health care spending; Communicable diseases; Asia and Pacific; Middle East
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Statement by Mr. Dumisani Mahlinza, Executive Director for Malawi, and Mr. Ted Sitima-wina, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director September 24, 2020
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.

1. On behalf of our Malawian authorities, we thank management and staff for their timely response to this second request for emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF). Our authorities believe the RCF disbursement would help catalyze additional support from development partners.

Keywords:
ISCR; CR; emergency financing request; IMF lending tracker; RCF resource; RCF disbursement; IMF's emergency financing; banking supervision effort; disbursement of SDR; RCF II; Debt relief; COVID-19; Budget planning and preparation; Global; revenue shortfall; RCF request; Health care; Credit
Cover IMF Survey
Why budget frameworks help—not hinder—HIV/AIDS relief
Jean-Louis Sarbib and Peter S. Heller

In the May 21 issue of The Lancet, an international journal of medical science and practice, Ted Schrecker (University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) and Gorik Ooms (Medecins San Frontieres, Brussels, Belgium) argued that government spending targets, created by the World Bank and the IMF under medium-term expenditure frameworks, prevent foreign aid from reaching HIV/AIDS programs in the world’s poorest countries. They also suggested that “the international community has not taken seriously enough the acute need for new resources to assist health systems in the developing world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.” The World Bank-IMF rebuttal, to appear in the June 18 issue of The Lancet, follows.

Keywords:
SV; Rodrigo de Rato; sc; IMF rebuttal; health program; spending plan; HIV and AIDS; Health care; Medium-term budget frameworks