Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust¹

1. The Fund adopts the Instrument to Establish the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust that is annexed to this decision.

2. The Fund is committed, if it appeared that any delay in payment by the Trust to lenders would be protracted, to consider fully and in good faith all such initiatives as might be necessary to assure full and expeditious payment to lenders.

Decision No. 8759-(87/176) ESAF

December 18, 1987,

as amended by Decision Nos. 9115-(89/40) ESAF, March 29, 1989,

9488-(90/106) ESAF, July 2, 1990,

9555-(90/146) ESAF, September 24, 1990,

9585-(90/161) ESAF, November 15, 1990,

10092-(92/94) ESAF, July 23, 1992,

10287-(93/23) ESAF, February 22, 1993,

10515-(93/162) ESAF, November 29, 1993,

10530-(93/170) ESAF, December 15, 1993,

10532-(93/170) ESAF, December 15, 1993,

11114-(95/110) ESAF, November 20, 1995,

11395-(96/110) ESAF, December 9, 1996,

11434-(97/10), February 4, 1997,

11435-(97/10), February 4, 1997,

11533-(97/67) ESAF, July 2, 1997,

11610-(97/113), December 19, 1997,

11832-(98/119) ESAF, November 20, 1998,

12087-(99/118) PRGF, October 21, 1999,

effective November 22, 1999,

12206-(00/55) PRGF, May 31, 2000,

12228-(00/66) PRGF, June 30, 2000,

12279-(00/86), August 25, 2000,

12326-(00/111) PRGF, November 10, 2000, and

12344-(00/117) PRGF, November 28, 2000

ANNEX Instrument to Establish the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust

Introductory Section

To help fulfill its purposes, the International Monetary Fund (hereinafter called the “Fund”) has adopted this Instrument establishing the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust (hereinafter called the “Trust”), which shall be administered by the Fund as Trustee (hereinafter called the “Trustee”). The Trust shall be governed by and administered in accordance with the provisions of this Instrument.

Section I. General Provisions

Paragraph 1. Purposes

The Trust shall assist in fulfilling the purposes of the Fund by providing loans on concessional terms (hereinafter called “Trust loans”) to low-income developing members that qualify for assistance under this Instrument, in order to support programs to strengthen substantially and in a sustainable manner their balance of payments position and to foster durable growth, leading to higher living standards and a reduction in poverty.

Paragraph 2. Accounts of the Trust

The operations and transactions of the Trust shall be conducted through a Loan Account, a Reserve Account, and a Subsidy Account. The resources of the Trust shall be held separately in each Account.

Paragraph 3. Unit of Account

The SDR shall be the unit of account for commitments, loans, and all other operations and transactions of the Trust, provided that commitments of resources to the Subsidy Account may be made in currency.

Paragraph 4. Media of payment of contributions and exchange of resources

(a) Resources loaned or donated to the Trust shall be received in a freely usable currency, subject to the provisions of (c) below, and provided that resources may be received by the Subsidy Account in other currency.

(b) Payments by the Trust to lenders or donors shall be made in U.S. dollars or such other media as may be agreed between the Trustee and such lenders or donors.

(c) Loans or donations to the Trust may also be made in or exchanged for SDRs in accordance with such arrangements as may be made by the Trust for the holding and use of SDRs.

(d) The Trustee may exchange any of the resources of the Trust, provided that any balance of a currency held in the Trust may be exchanged only with the consent of the issuers of such currencies.

Section II. Trust Loans

Paragraph 1. Eligibility and conditions for assistance

(a) The members on the list annexed to Decision No. 8240-(86/56) SAF, as amended, shall be eligible for assistance from the Trust.

(aa) The provisions of subparagraphs 1(b), 2(d), and 3(b) of this Section shall apply to assistance committed to qualifying members through November 20, 1998. The provisions of subparagraphs 1(bb), 2(dd), and 3(bb) of this Section shall apply to assistance committed after that date.

(b) This assistance shall be committed to a qualifying member, subject to this instrument, for a three-year period upon approval by the Fund of a three-year arrangement in support of a three-year macroeconomic and structural adjustment program presented by the member. The three-year arrangement will prescribe the total amount, and the annual amounts within the total, committed to the member. Resources so committed shall be made available in the form of loans under three annual arrangements approved by the Fund. An annual arrangement may not be approved before the expiration of the preceding annual arrangement, other than under exceptional circumstances. After the expiration of a three-year commitment period for an eligible member, or the cancellation of a three-year arrangement by the member, the Trustee may approve additional three-year commitments for that member in accordance with the Instrument.

(bb) Assistance shall be committed and made available to a qualifying member under a single three-year arrangement in support of a three-year macroeconomic and structural adjustment program presented by the member. The member shall also present a detailed statement of the policies and measures it intends to pursue for the first twelve months of the arrangement, in line with the objectives and policies of the three-year program. The three-year arrangement will prescribe the total amount of resources committed to the member, the amount to be made available during the first year of the arrangement, the phasing of disbursements during that year, and the overall amounts to be made available during the second and third years of the arrangement. In principle, disbursements shall be phased at semiannual intervals (one upon approval and at approximately six-monthly intervals thereafter) with semiannual performance criteria and appropriate monitoring of key financial variables in the form of quarterly quantitative benchmarks and structural benchmarks for important structural reforms. The arrangement shall also provide for reviews of the member’s program with the Trustee to evaluate the macroeconomic and structural reform policies of the member and the implementation of its program and reach new understandings if necessary. In cases where closer monitoring is needed, the arrangement may provide for quarterly performance criteria and reviews and quarterly disbursements. The determination of the phasing of, and the conditions applying to, disbursements during the second and third years of the arrangement will be made by the Trustee in the context of a review of the program with the member, and of a detailed statement presented by the member describing progress made under the program, and of the policies it will follow during the subsequent year of the arrangement to further the realization of the objectives of the three-year program, with such modifications as may be necessary to assist it to achieve its objectives in changing circumstances. After the expiration of a three-year arrangement for an eligible member, or the cancellation of the arrangement by the member, the Trustee may approve additional arrangements for that member in accordance with the Instrument.

(c) Before approving a three-year arrangement, the Trustee shall be satisfied that the member has a protracted balance of payments problem and is making an effort to strengthen substantially and in a sustainable manner its balance of payments position.

(d) Commitments under three-year arrangements may be made during the period from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 2001.

(e) The Managing Director shall not recommend for approval, and the Trustee shall not approve, a request for a three-year arrangement under this Instrument whenever the member has an overdue financial obligation to the Fund in the General Resources Account, the Special Disbursement Account, or the SDR Department, or to the Fund as Trustee, or while the member is failing to meet a repurchase expectation to the Fund pursuant to Decision No.7842-(84/165) on the Guidelines on Corrective Action, or pursuant to paragraphs 17 or 31 of Decision No. 8955-(88/125) on the Compensatory Financing Facility, or in respect to a purchase in support of debt and debt service reduction operations pursuant to Decision No. 9331-(89/167), or a purchase pursuant to Decision No. 11627-(97/123) on the Supplemental Reserve Facility, or pursuant to the Guidelines for Fund Support for Currency Stabilization Funds, or is failing to meet a repayment expectation pursuant to the provisions of Appendix I to this Instrument, or is failing to meet a repurchase expectation pursuant to paragraph 1(b) of Decision No 5703-(78/39) or paragraph 10(a) of Decision No. 4377-(74/114).

(f) The Trustee shall not complete a review under an arrangement unless and until all other conditions for the disbursement of the corresponding loan have been met or waived.

Paragraph 2. Amount of Assistance

(a) An initial maximum limit on access to the resources of the Trust shall be established by the Trustee, as a proportion of members’ quotas in the Fund, and provisions shall be made for a limit up to which that maximum limit may be exceeded in exceptional circumstances. The maximum access limit and the exceptional maximum limit shall be subject to review from time to time by the Trustee in the light of actual utilization of resources available to the Loan Account.

(b) To the extent that a member has notified the Trustee that it does not intend to make use of the resources available from the Trust, the member shall not be included in the calculations of the access limits on Trust loans.

(c) The access for each member that qualifies for assistance from the Trust shall be determined on the basis of an assessment by the Trustee of the balance of payments need of the member, the strength of its adjustment program, the amount of the member’s outstanding use of credit extended by the Fund, and its record in using Fund credit in the past.

(d) The amount of resources committed to a qualifying member under a three-year arrangement may be increased at the time of consideration of each annual program or at the time of any review contemplated under an annual arrangement, to help meet a larger balance of payments need or to support a strengthening of the program during the period of such annual arrangement. The amounts committed to a member shall not be reduced because of developments in its balance of payments, unless such developments are substantially more favorable than envisaged at the time of approval of the three-year arrangement and the improvement for the member derives in particular from improvements in the external environment.

(dd) The amount of resources committed to a qualifying member under a three-year arrangement may be increased at the time of any review contemplated under the arrangement, to help meet a larger balance of payments need or to support a strengthening of the program. The amount committed to a member shall not be reduced because of developments in its balance of payments, unless such developments are substantially more favorable than envisaged at the time of approval of the three-year arrangement and the improvement for the member derives in particular from improvements in the external environment.

(e) Any commitment shall be subject to the availability of resources to the Trust.

Paragraph 3. Disbursements

(a) Any disbursement shall be subject to the availability of the resources to the Trust.

(b) Disbursements must precede the expiration of the three-year commitment period. If an annual arrangement expires with undisbursed amounts, the Trustee may rephase those amounts over the remaining annual arrangements under the three-year commitment. It may also extend the period of the three-year commitment for up to one year to allow the disbursement of undisbursed amounts or of additional resources committed to the member, subject to appropriate conditions consistent with the terms of assistance under this Instrument.

Each annual arrangement shall determine the phasing of disbursements, which, in principle, shall be at semiannual intervals (one upon approval and at approximately six-monthly intervals thereafter) with semiannual performance criteria and appropriate monitoring of key financial variables in the form of quarterly quantitative benchmarks and structural benchmarks for important structural reforms. Arrangements shall also contain provisions for reviews of the member’s program with the Trustee to evaluate the macroeconomic and structural reform policies of the member and reach new understandings if necessary. In cases where closer monitoring is needed, an annual arrangement may provide for quarterly performance criteria and reviews and quarterly disbursements. In establishing the phasing under an arrangement, the Trustee shall endeavor to avoid undesirable bunching of disbursements under one arrangement with the disbursements under the subsequent arrangement.

(bb) Disbursements under a three-year arrangement must precede the expiration of the arrangement period. If phased amounts under an arrangement do not become available as scheduled due to delays in program implementation, nonobservance of conditions attached to such disbursements or delays in reaching new understandings when necessary, the Trustee may rephase those amounts over the remaining period of the arrangement. The Trustee may also extend the period of the arrangement for up to one year to allow for the disbursement of rephased amounts or to provide additional resources, subject to appropriate conditions consistent with the terms of assistance under the Instrument.

(c) Disbursements shall normally be made on the fifteenth and the last day of the month, provided that if these days are not business days of the Trustee, the disbursement shall be made on the preceding business day. Following a member’s qualification for a disbursement, the disbursement shall be made on the first of these value dates for which the necessary notifications and payment instructions can be issued by the Trustee.

(d) No disbursement under any commitment to a member shall be made after the expiration of the period referred to in Section III, paragraph 3.

(e) In cases of misreporting and noncomplying disbursements of Trust loans, the provisions of Appendix I, which shall be incorporated at the end of this Instrument, shall apply.

(f) Disbursements under an arrangement to a qualifying member shall be suspended in all the cases specified in Paragraph 1(e) of this Section.

Paragraph 4. Terms of loans

(a) Interest on the outstanding balance of a Trust loan shall be charged at the rate of one half of one percent per annum subject to the provisions of Section IV, paragraph 5, and provided that interest at a rate equal to the rate of interest on the SDR shall be charged on the amounts of any overdue interest on or overdue repayments of Trust loans.

(b) Trust loans shall be disbursed in a freely usable currency as decided by the Trustee. They shall be repaid, and interest paid, in U.S. dollars or other freely usable currency as decided by the Trustee. The Managing Director is authorized to make arrangements under which, at the request of a member, SDRs may be used for disbursements to the member or for payment of interest or repayments of loans by the member to the Trust.

(c) The Trustee may not reschedule the repayment of loans from the Trust.

Paragraph 5. Modifications

Any modification of these provisions will affect only loans made after the effective date of the modification, provided that modification of the interest rate shall apply to interest accruing after the effective date of the modification.

Section III. Borrowing for the Loan Account

Paragraph 1. Resources

The resources held in the Loan Account shall consist of:

(a) the proceeds of loans made to the Trust for that Account; and

(b) payments of principal and interest on Trust loans, subject to the provisions of Section V, paragraph 3.

Paragraph 2. Borrowing authority

The Trustee may borrow resources for the Loan Account on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the Trustee and the respective lenders subject to the provisions of this Instrument.

Paragraph 3. Commitments

Commitments for drawings under loan agreements to the Loan Account of the ESAF Trust that were entered into before November 30, 1993 shall extend through December 31, 1997, and under loan agreements that are entered into after November 30, 1993 shall extend through December 31, 1999. The drawdown period may be extended by mutual agreement between the Trustee and the lender. The Managing Director is authorized to conclude such agreements on behalf of the Trustee.

Paragraph 4. Drawings on loan commitments

(a) Drawings on the commitments of individual lenders over time shall be made so as to maintain broad proportionality of these drawings relative to commitments, provided that the Trustee will aim to draw fully all loans entered into prior to November 30, 1993 before calling on loans entered into after that date.

(b) Calls on a lender’s commitment shall be suspended temporarily if, at any time prior to June 30, 1997, in case of a commitment under a loan agreement entered into before November 30, 1993, or prior to June 30, 1999, in case of a commitment under a loan agreement entered into after November 30, 1993, the lender represents to the Trustee that it has a liquidity need for such suspension and the Trustee, having given this representation the overwhelming benefit of any doubt, agrees. The suspension shall not exceed three months, provided that it may be extended for further periods of three months by agreement between the lender and the Trustee. No extension shall be agreed which, in the judgment of the Trustee, would prevent drawing of the full amount of the lender’s commitment.

(c) Following any suspension of calls with respect to the commitment of a lender, calls will be made on that commitment thereafter so as to restore proportionality of calls on all lenders as soon as practicable.

Paragraph 5. Payments to lenders

(a) The Trust shall make payments of principal and interest on its borrowing for the Loan Account from the payments into that account of principal and interest made by borrowers under Trust loans. Payments of the authorized subsidy shall be made from the Subsidy Account in accordance with Section IV of this Instrument, and, as required, payments shall be made from the Reserve Account in accordance with Section V of this Instrument.

(b) The Trust shall pay interest on outstanding borrowing for Trust loans promptly after June 30 and December 31 of each year, unless the particular modalities of a loan to the Trust make it necessary for the Trustee to agree with the lender on interest payments at other times.

Section IV. Subsidy Account

Paragraph 1. Resources

The resources held in the Subsidy Account shall consist of:

(a) the proceeds of donations made to the Trust for that Account;

(b) the proceeds of loans made to the Trust for that Account;

(c) transfers from the Special Disbursement Account in accordance with Decision No. 10531-(93/170) to that Account; and

(d) net earnings from investment of resources held in that Account.

Paragraph 2. Donations

The Trustee may accept donations of resources for the Subsidy Account on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the Trustee and the respective donors, subject to the provisions of this Instrument. To the extent possible, annual contributions should be made before May 30 of each year.

Paragraph 3. Borrowing

The Trustee may, in exceptional circumstances, borrow resources for the Subsidy Account from official lenders on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the Trustee and the lenders; in order

(a) to prefinance an amount that is firmly committed to be donated to the Trust for the Subsidy Account; repayment of principal and any payments of interest on such borrowing shall be contingent upon the receipt by the Subsidy Account of the Trust of the donation that has been prefinanced;

(b) that the Subsidy Account may benefit from net investment earnings on the proceeds of a loan extended at a concessional interest rate; repayment of principal and any payment of interest on such borrowing shall be made exclusively from the proceeds of liquidation of the investment and the earnings thereon.

Paragraph 4. Authorized subsidy

The Trustee shall draw upon the resources available in the Subsidy Account to pay the difference, with respect to each interest period, between the interest due by the borrowers and the interest due on resources borrowed for Trust Loans.

Paragraph 5. Calculation of subsidy

(a) The amount of the subsidy shall be determined by the Trustee in the light of (i) the objective of ensuring that the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility is a highly concessional facility and, to the extent possible, of reducing the rate of interest charged on Trust loans to 0.5 percent, (ii) the rate of interest on resources available to the Loan Account, and (iii) the availability and prospective availability of resources to the Subsidy Account.

(b) The Trustee shall keep the operation of the Subsidy Account under review. If at any time it determines that resources available or committed are likely to be insufficient to reduce the rate of interest on Trust loans to 0.5 percent throughout the operation of the Trust, the Trustee shall seek such additional resources as may be necessary to achieve this objective.

(c) Should adequate additional resources not be forthcoming to reduce the rate on Trust loans to 0.5 percent, the Trustee shall recalculate the subsidy with a view to reducing that interest rate to the lowest feasible rate that could be applied throughout the remaining life of the Trust. The rate of interest charged on all outstanding loans by the Trust shall be adjusted accordingly in the succeeding interest periods. Borrowers shall be notified promptly of such adjustments. Further recalculations and adjustments shall be made in subsequent interest periods, as necessary in light of developments with respect to the rate of interest on resources available to the Loan Account and to the availability of resources to the Subsidy Account.

(d) If the interest due to lenders for an interest period has exceeded the interest due by borrowers together with the authorized subsidy under paragraph 4 of this Section for that period, and payment to lenders of that difference has been made from the Reserve Account in accordance with Section V, paragraph 2, an amount equivalent to that difference shall be added to the interest due by borrowers for the succeeding interest period. Payment of that amount shall be made to the Reserve Account in accordance with Section V, paragraph 3. The additional interest due shall not be taken into account in the calculation of the authorized subsidy for that same interest period.

Paragraph 6. Termination arrangements

Upon completion of the subsidy operations authorized by this Instrument, the Fund shall wind up the affairs of the Subsidy Account. Any resources remaining in the Subsidy Account shall be used first to reduce to the fullest extent possible, in accordance with this Instrument, to 0.5 percent the interest rate paid by borrowers, by means of payments to borrowers. Any resources remaining after that subsidization shall be distributed to the Fund, donors, and lenders that have contributed to the subsidy operation, in proportion to their contributions. The resources representing the Fund’s share in such distribution shall be transferred to the Special Disbursement Account. For the purposes of this distribution, account will be taken of donations, the net earnings from investment of the proceeds of concessional loans extended to the Subsidy Account under paragraph 3(b) above, and the subsidy element of concessional loans extended to the Trust under Section III; the subsidy element associated with such loans shall be calculated as the difference, if positive, between the SDR rate of interest and the interest on such loans, applied to the amount of the loans during the period they were outstanding.

Section V. Reserve Account

Paragraph 1. Resources

The resources held in the Reserve Account shall consist of:

(a) transfers by the Fund from the Special Disbursement Account in accordance with Decision No. 8760-(87/176), adopted December 18, 1987, as amended by Decision No. 10531-(93/170), adopted December 15,1993;

(b) net earnings from investment of resources held in the Reserve Account;

(c) net earnings from investment of any resources held in the Loan Account pending the use of these resources in operations;

(d) payments of overdue principal or interest or interest thereon under Trust loans, and payments of interest under Trust loans to the extent that payment has been made to a lender from the Reserve Account;

(e) Transfers by the Fund from the Special Disbursement Account in accordance with Decision No. 10286-(93/23) ESAF, adopted February 22,1993; and

(f) repayments of the principal under Trust loans, to the extent that resources in the Reserve Account have been used to make payments to a lender due to a difference in timing between scheduled principal repayments to the lender and principal repayments under Trust loans.

Paragraph 2. Use of resources

The resources held in the Reserve Account shall be used by the Trustee to make payments of principal and interest on its borrowing for Trust loans, to the extent that the amounts available from receipts of repayments and interest from borrowers under Trust loans, together with the authorized subsidy under Section IV, paragraph 4, are insufficient to cover the payments to lenders as they become due and payable.

Paragraph 3. Payments to the Reserve Account

Any repayment of principal under Trust loans, to the extent that repayment to a lender has been made from the Reserve Account due to differences in timing between scheduled principal repayments to the lender and principal repayments under Trust loans, any payments of overdue principal or interest or interest thereon under Trust loans, and any payments of interest under Trust loans to the extent that payment has been made to a lender from the Reserve Account, shall be made to the Reserve Account.

Paragraph 4. Review of resources

If resources in the Reserve Account are, or are determined by the Trustee likely to become, insufficient to meet the obligations of the Trust that may be discharged from the Reserve Account as they become due and payable, the Trustee shall review the situation in a timely manner.

Paragraph 5. Reduction of resources and liquidation

(a) Whenever the Trustee determines that amounts in the Reserve Account of the Trust exceed the amount that may be needed to cover the total liabilities of the Trust to lenders that are authorized to be discharged by the Reserve Account, the Trustee shall retransfer such excess amount to the Fund’s Special Disbursement Account.

(b) Notwithstanding (a) above, the equivalent of up to SDR 250 million may be transferred from the Reserve Account to the Special Disbursement Account to be used to provide Trust grants or Trust loans, as defined in the Instrument to Establish a Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations. Transfers will be made only when and to the extent that the Trustee of the Trust established by that Instrument determines that there are no other resources immediately available for this purpose.

(c) Upon liquidation of the Trust, all amounts in the Reserve Account remaining after discharge of liabilities authorized to be discharged by the Reserve Account shall be transferred to the Special Disbursement Account.

Section VI. Transfer of Claims

Paragraph 1. Transfers by lenders

(a) Any lender shall have the right to transfer at any time all or part of any claim to any member of the Fund, to the central bank or other fiscal agency designated by any member for purposes of Article V, Section 1 (“other fiscal agency”), or to any official entity that has been prescribed as a holder of SDRs pursuant to Article XVII, Section 3 of the Fund’s Articles of Agreement.

(b) The transferee shall, as a condition of the transfer, notify the Trustee prior to the transfer that it accepts all the obligations of the transferor relating to the transferred claim with respect to renewal and new drawings, and shall acquire all the rights of the transferor with respect to repayment of and interest on the transferred claim.

Paragraph 2. Transfers among electing lenders

(a) Any lender to the Loan Account (“electing lenders”) may inform the Trustee that it stands ready, upon request by the Trustee, to purchase claims on the Trust from any other electing lender, provided that the holdings of claims so acquired shall at no time exceed the amount communicated to the Trustee and subject to the other provisions of this section. A list of electing lenders and the amounts communicated by them shall be established separately by the Trustee. This list may be extended and the amounts therein increased in accordance with communications received subsequently.

(b) An electing lender shall have the right to transfer temporarily to other electing lenders part or all of any claim arising from its loans to the Trust under Section III, if the electing lender represents to the Trustee that it has a liquidity need to make such transfer and the Trustee, having given this representation the overwhelming benefit of any doubt, agrees.

(c) The Trustee shall allocate each transfer by an electing lender under this provision to all other electing lenders in proportion to the amounts by which the respective maximum holdings listed in the attachment exceed actual holdings of claims acquired under this provision; provided, however, that no allocation shall be made to an electing lender if it represents to the Trustee that it has a liquidity need for exclusion from an allocation and the Trustee agrees, in which case allocations to the remaining electing lenders shall be adjusted accordingly.

(d) The purchaser of any claim transferred under this provision shall assume, as a condition of the transfer, any obligation of the transferor, relating to the transferred claim, with respect to the renewal of drawing on loans to the Trust and to new drawings on loans in the event a renewal, having been requested, is not agreed by the transferor.

(e) Transfers of claims under this provision shall be made in exchange for freely usable currency and shall be reversed in the same media within three months, provided that such transfers may be renewed, by agreement between the transferor and the Trustee, for further periods of three months up to a total of one year. Notwithstanding the above, the transferor shall reverse a transfer under this provision not later than the date on which the transferred claim is due to be repaid by the Trust.

(f) Interest on claims transferred under this Section shall be paid by the Trust to the transferor in accordance with the provisions of the transferor’s lending agreement with the Trust, the transferor shall pay interest to the transferee(s) on the amount transferred, so long as the transfer remains outstanding, at a daily rate equal to that set out in Rule T-l of the Fund’s Rules and Regulations; such interest shall be payable three months after the date of a transfer or of its renewal, or on the date the transfer is reversed, whichever is earlier.

Section VII. Administration of the Trust

Paragraph 1. Trustee

(a) The Trust shall be administered by the Fund as Trustee. Decisions and other actions taken by the Fund as Trustee shall be identified as taken in that capacity.

(b) Subject to the provisions of this Instrument, the Fund in administering the Trust shall apply the same rules as apply to the operation of the General Resources Account of the Fund.

(c) The Trustee, acting through its Managing Director, is authorized:

• (i) to make all arrangements, including establishment of accounts in the name of the International Monetary Fund, which shall be accounts of the Fund as Trustee, with such depositories of the Fund as the Trustee deems necessary; and

• (ii) to take all other administrative measures that the Trustee deems necessary to implement the provisions of this Instrument.

Paragraph 2. Separation of assets and accounts, audit and reports

(a) The Resources of the Trust shall be kept separate from the property and assets of all other accounts of the Fund, including other administered accounts, and shall be used only for the purposes of the Trust in accordance with this Instrument.

(b) The property and assets held in the other accounts of the Fund shall not be used to discharge liabilities or to meet losses arising out of the administration of the Trust. The resources of the Trust shall not be used to discharge liabilities or to meet losses arising out of the administration of the other accounts of the Fund.

(c) The Fund shall maintain separate financial records and prepare separate financial statements for the Trust.

(d) The audit committee selected under Section 20 of the Fund’s By-Laws shall audit the financial transactions and records of the Trust. The audit shall relate to the financial year of the Fund.

(e) The Fund shall report on the resources and operations of the Trust in the Annual Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors and shall include in that Annual Report the report of the audit committee on the Trust.

Paragraph 3. Investment of resources

(a) Any balances held by the Trust and not immediately needed in operations shall be invested.

(b) Investments may be made in any of the following: (i) marketable obligations issued by an international financial organization and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member of the Fund; (ii) marketable obligations issued by a member or by a national official financial institution of a member and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of that member; and (iii) deposits with a commercial bank, a national official financial institution of a member, or an international financial institution that are denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member. Investment which does not involve an exchange of currency shall be made only after consultation with the member whose currency is to be used, or, when an exchange of currencies is involved, with the consent of the issuers of such currencies.

Section VIII. Period of Operation and Liquidation

Paragraph 1. Period of operation

The Trust established by this Instrument shall remain in effect for as long as is necessary, in the judgment of the Fund, to conduct and to wind up the business of the Trust.

Paragraph 2. Liquidation of the Trust

(a) Termination and liquidation of the Subsidy Account shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Section IV, paragraph 6.

(b) All other resources, if any, shall be used to discharge any liabilities of the Trust, other than those incurred under Section IV, and any remainder shall be transferred to the Special Disbursement Account of the Fund.

Section IX. Amendment of the Instrument

The Fund may amend the provisions of the Instrument, except this Section and Section I, paragraphs 1 and 2; Section III, paragraphs 4 and 5; Section IV, paragraphs 4 and 6; Section V; Section VI; Section VII, paragraph 2(a) and (b); Section VIII, paragraph 2(b).

APPENDIX I¹ Misreporting and Noncomplying Disbursements in Arrangements Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility—Provisions on Corrective Action

a. A noncomplying disbursement occurs when (i) the Trustee makes a disbursement to a member under an arrangement approved in accordance with the Instrument on the basis of a finding by the Trustee or the Managing Director that all applicable conditions established for that disbursement under the terms of the decisions on the arrangement have been observed, and (ii) that finding later proves to be incorrect. For the purposes of these provisions, a condition established under the terms of a decision on an arrangement means a condition specified in the arrangement, or in a decision approving the arrangement, completing a review, or granting a waiver of applicability or for the nonobservance of a performance criterion under the arrangement.

b. Whenever evidence comes to the attention of the staff of the Trustee indicating that a member may have received a noncomplying disbursement, the Managing Director shall promptly inform the member concerned.

c. If, after consultation with the member, the Managing Director determines that the member did receive a noncomplying disbursement, the Managing Director shall promptly notify the member and submit a report to the Executive Board together with recommendations.

d. In any case where the noncomplying disbursement was made no more than four years prior to the date on which the Managing Director informed the member, as provided for in paragraph (b), the Executive Board may decide either (i) that the member will be called upon to make an early repayment, or (ii) that the nonobservance will be waived.

e. If the decision of the Executive Board is to call upon the member to make an early repayment as provided for in paragraph (d)(i), the member will be expected to repay an amount equivalent to the noncomplying disbursement, together with any interest accrued thereon, normally within a period of 30 days from the date of the Executive Board decision.

f. A waiver under paragraph (d)(ii) will normally be granted only if the deviation from the relevant performance criterion or other condition was minor or temporary, or if, subsequent to the disbursement, the member had adopted additional measures appropriate to achieve the objectives of the program supported by the arrangement under which the disbursement was made.

g. If a member fails to meet a repayment expectation under these guidelines within the period established by the Executive Board, (i) the Managing Director shall promptly submit a report to the Executive Board together with a proposal on how to deal with the matter, and (ii) interest shall be charged on the amount subject to the repayment expectation at the rate applicable to overdue amounts under Section II, Paragraph 4 of the Instrument.

Amendment of the Provisions on Corrective Action for Misreporting and Noncomplying Disbursements Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF)

Appendix I of the Instrument to Establish the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (adopted November 20, 1998 in Decision 11832-(98/119) ESAF) is hereby revised to read as set forth below:

…¹

Decision No. 12252-(00/77)

July 27, 2000

Establishment of General Policy to Condition Decisions Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility on Accuracy of Information Regarding Implementation of Prior Actions

Any decision on the use of resources under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (including decisions approving an arrangement, completing a review, or granting a waiver either of applicability or for the nonobservance of a performance criterion) will be made conditional upon the accuracy of information provided by the member regarding implementation of prior actions specified in the decision.

Decision No. 12253-(00/77)

July 27, 2000

Establishment of General Policy to Condition Waiver Decisions Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility on Accuracy of Information Regarding Performance Criteria

Any decision granting a waiver for the nonobservance of a performance criterion under an arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility will be made conditional upon the accuracy of data or other information provided by the member to assess observance of the performance criterion in question.

Any decision waiving the applicability of a performance criterion under an arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility will be made conditional upon (i) the accuracy of the member’s representation that the information necessary to assess observance of the relevant performance criterion is unavailable, and

(ii) the accuracy of data provided by the member to assess observance of the same performance criterion for a preceding period (if applicable for that period).

Decision No, 12254-(00/77)

July 27, 2000

Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust—Other Provisions

…

2. All the provisions applying to assistance under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust Instrument, other than those amended or deleted pursuant to Part I¹ of this Decision, shall continue to apply to assistance committed after November 20, 1998 under such Instrument, including the maturity of loans, which will continue to be repaid in ten equal semiannual installments beginning not later than five and a half years from the date of each disbursement and completed at the end of the tenth year after that date.

3. The Managing Director shall not recommend, and the Fund shall not approve, a request by a member for the use of the Fund’s general resources, Special Disbursement Account resources, or resources administered by the Fund as Trustee, whenever the member is in arrears, or is failing to meet a repayment expectation, to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust.

4. Provision shall be made in Stand-By and Extended Arrangements for the suspension of further purchases whenever a member fails to meet a repayment obligation to the PRGF Trust or a repayment expectation to that Trust within the period established by the Executive Board pursuant to the provisions of Appendix I I to the PRGF Trust Instrument.

Decision No. 11832-(98/119) ESAF

November 20, 1998

Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust—Extension and Enlargement

1. The Fund adopts the following decisions,¹ which shall become effective when (i) the Executive Board has determined that sufficient contributions to the Loan and Subsidy Accounts of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF Trust) are committed or in firm prospect to initiate operations under the enlarged and amended PRGF Trust, and (ii) all creditors to the Loan Account of the PRGF Trust have consented to the partial transfer to the Subsidy Account of the PRGF Trust of resources from the Special Disbursement Account that were to be transferred to the Reserve Account of the PRGF Trust in accordance with Decision No. 8760-(87/176), adopted December 18, 1987, as amended.

2. The period for making commitments specified in Section II, subparagraph 1(d) of the PRGF Trust Instrument is extended until February 28, 1994 or the date of effectiveness of the decisions referred to in paragraph 1 of this decision, whichever is earlier.

Decision No. 10530-(93/170) ESAF

December 15, 1993

ESAF Successor—Initiation of Operations

The Executive Board determines that sufficient contributions to the Loan and Subsidy Accounts of the PRGF Trust are committed or in firm prospect to initiate operations under the enlarged and amended ESAF Trust.

Decision No. 10597-(94/14) ESAF

February 23, 1994

ESAF Trust—Transfer to the ESAF/HIPC Trust

For financial year 1998, no reimbursement shall be made to the General Resources Account from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account for the cost of administering the ESAF Trust. An amount equivalent to such cost shall be transferred after the end of the financial year from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account (through the Special Disbursement Account) to the ESAF/HIPC Trust.

Decision No. 11683-(98/27)

March 12, 1998

ESAF Trust-Reserve Account—Transfer to the ESAF/HIPC Trust

For financial year 1999, no reimbursement shall be made to the General Resources Account from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account for the cost of administering the ESAF Trust. One-fourth of the estimated annual cost shall be transferred after the end of each financial quarter ended July 31 and October 31, 1998 and January 31 and April 30, 1999 from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account (through the Special Disbursement Account) to the ESAF-HIPC Trust.

Decision No. 11713-(98/49) ESAF

May 22, 1998

__________

For financial year 2000, no reimbursement shall be made to the General Resources Account from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account for the cost of administering the ESAF Trust. One-fourth of the estimated annual cost shall be transferred at the end of each financial quarter ended July 31 and October 31, 1999 and January 31 and April 30, 2000 from the ESAF Trust Reserve Account (through the Special Disbursement Account) to the ESAF-HIPC Trust.

Decision No, 11946-(99/49) ESAF

April 30, 1999

PRGF Trust-Reserve Account—Transfer to the PRGF-HIPC Trust

For financial years 2001-2004, no reimbursement shall be made to the General Resources Account from the PRGF Trust Reserve Account (through the Special Disbursement Account) for the cost of administering the PRGF Trust. One-fourth of the estimated cost shall be transferred to the PRGF-HIPC Trust at the end of each financial quarter ended July 31 and October 31, 2000, January 31 and April 30, 2001, July 31 and October 31, 2001, January 31 and April 30, 2002, July 31 and October 31, 2002, January 31 and April 30, 2003, July 31 and October 31, 2003, and January 31 and April 30, 2004.

Decision No. 12065-(99/130) PRGF

December 8, 1999, effective January 10, 2000

The Chairman’s Summing Up of the Discussion on the Enhancement of the Structural Adjustment Facility—Operational Arrangements Executive Board Meeting 87/171, December 15, 1987

…

Let me summarize the agreed position on a number of important points.

1. Establishment of the enhanced adjustment facility and review of the existing facility

Directors reviewed the existing Structural Adjustment Facility and agreed that it should continue to operate as in the past. The existing facility will continue to be available to eligible members that already have arrangements under the facility as well as to those that have not yet requested use of the facility’s resources.

Directors agreed that a new lending facility—the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility—should be established and that it will operate concurrently with the existing Structural Adjustment Facility. The enhanced facility will be financed from two Fund-related sources—the Special Disbursement Account and the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust—and will also include the possibility that other lenders might support enhanced structural adjustment arrangements through loans to qualifying members in association with loans under the enhanced facility. For a member qualifying for an arrangement under the enhanced facility, resources will be provided from the Special Disbursement Account to the extent that the member has not exhausted its potential access under the existing facility; resources made available in excess of these amounts will be provided from the Trust and from associated sources.

Until the cutoff date for commitment of resources, eligible members that have not yet made use of the resources of the Structural Adjustment Facility will have the option to request a full three-year arrangement under either the existing facility or the enhanced facility. Members currently making use of the resources of the existing facility may request a new three-year arrangement under the enhanced facility or continue their current arrangement to its conclusion. If a member currently using the resources of the Structural Adjustment Facility chooses to request a new three-year arrangement under the enhanced facility, that request should normally be made at the time of expiration of an annual arrangement under the existing facility. However, earlier replacement of an existing arrangement by a three-year arrangement under the enhanced facility could also be permitted in exceptional cases.

2. Terms and conditions of loans under the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility

Commitments of resources under the enhanced facility will be made upon approval of a three-year arrangement. All commitments and disbursements will be subject to the availability of resources. Commitments may be made at any time until the cutoff date. Most Directors agreed, taking into account the limited period of time during which the resources would be made available by contributors, that the cutoff date should be November 30, 1989. At the same time, most Directors considered that the final date for disbursements should not now be extended beyond June 30, 1992, although it was recognized that maintenance of this date would imply that there would be little flexibility to accommodate delays under annual programs in arrangements that were agreed later in the commitment period. This matter will be kept under review as experience is gained with the facility.

Disbursements from the Special Disbursement Account in conjunction with enhanced structural adjustment arrangements will be provided under the financial terms applying to loans under the existing facility, as amended. To the extent possible, the financial terms applying to loans from the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust will be the same as those under the existing facility. In particular, it was agreed that the maturities of loans will be five and a half to ten years. Most Directors also believed that it would be appropriate to set the initial interest rate charged on loans from the Trust at 0.5 percent per annum, even if the amount of firmly committed resources in the Subsidy Account was initially not fully sufficient for this purpose, but additional resources were confidently expected. These Directors indicated that if it appeared, because of inadequate contributions or future adverse developments in interest or exchange rates, that resources available or committed to the Subsidy Account were likely to be insufficient to maintain the rate of interest at 0.5 percent throughout the period of operation of the Trust, the Fund should seek the additional resources necessary to achieve this objective. This issue is to be kept under review, and the interest rate will be adjusted as necessary at the beginning of each six-month interest period whenever resources available to the Subsidy Account are judged insufficient to maintain a rate of 0.5 percent on loans under the enhanced facility.

The intended terms for the Trust’s lending, with which you have agreed, determine the essential features of the borrowing arrangements that will have to be concluded by the Fund as Trustee for the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust and the lenders to it. These have been set out in a prototype circulated to potential lenders and annexed to EBS/87/245. While there will need to be comparability in substance among agreements, there will no doubt need to be alterations to the form and structure of this prototype to meet the particular legal and institutional requirements of individual lenders, and we will be flexible in meeting these requirements. There was further discussion of the security to be provided to the claims on the Trust. Directors accepted that the proposals that had been put forward to safeguard the resources lent to the Trust were adequate to provide the necessary assurance to potential creditors. Although noting the views of some Directors, I have repeated that the phrase “all such initiatives as might be necessary” had to be understood to include the possible use of gold.

I should also comment on a few specific financial issues raised in the papers. First, most Directors did not favor the inclusion of a provision on rescheduling because, inter alia, it was considered that this would create undue complications in light of the limited period for which resources were being committed by contributors and also because it was felt that such a provision could threaten the integrity of the Reserve that most contributors find to be an essential component of the facility. Second, most Directors did not find it appropriate to provide for temporary encashment of claims through the use of the Reserve, given the relatively small amounts that will be available in the early years and the importance of the Reserve as security for claims. Third, it appeared generally acceptable to most Directors that the provision for temporary suspension of calls should apply to all lenders. I should note in this connection that we appreciate the position of several contributors who are providing support to the enhanced facility, despite a very difficult balance of payments situation of their own.

3. Framework for lending under the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility

Resources to be made available under the enhanced facility will be committed upon Board approval of a three-year arrangement and disbursements will be made semiannually in accordance with the provisions specified in annual arrangements. The preparation of policy framework papers will be an essential element of the enhanced facility, and the policy framework process will be strengthened to reflect the summing up of the June 1987 review of the structural adjustment facility (EBM/87/93, 6/19/87), as well as continuing discussions with eligible recipient countries, the World Bank, and the interested donors.

Directors were in broad agreement that the objectives of programs under the enhanced facility should be to promote, in a balanced manner, both balance of payments viability and growth through mobilization of domestic and external resources, improvements in resource allocation, and the removal of structural impediments. Such programs should involve a substantial effort to strengthen the external payments position in a sustainable manner, and in particular to assure substantial progress during the three-year program period toward an overall position and structure of the balance of payments that is consistent with orderly relations with creditors and a reduction in restrictions on trade and payments, while permitting the timely servicing of obligations to the Fund.

Directors agreed that monitoring of enhanced programs supported by arrangement under the enhanced facility will be conducted through benchmarks. Most Directors favored the establishment of quarterly quantitative benchmarks for the key financial variables, and the use of structural benchmarks to monitor implementation of the most important structural policy measures. Most Directors supported the establishment of some benchmarks, including, where appropriate, some structural benchmarks, as semiannual performance criteria in all cases. In addition, midyear reviews will also be required in most cases. I have fully noted the reservations expressed by a number of Directors regarding the treatment of benchmarks as performance criteria, and I assure you that performance criteria will be limited in number and will generally involve only a subset of the benchmarks. Similarly, prior actions will be required sparingly, but when necessary to lay the basis for a long or difficult adjustment process, and particularly where arrangements involve a front-loading of disbursements. In the event of a substantial delay in completion of a midyear review or in agreeing on an annual program, the total amount of resources to be made available to a member could be reduced or rephased over the remaining period of the arrangement.

Most Directors agreed that access to the resources of the enhanced facility will be differentiated according to the strength of the member’s adjustment program and its financing need. The structure of the member’s external debt and its prospective debt service burden, along with the expected evolution of other macroeconomic aggregates, will be important elements in this assessment. Directors generally agreed that access under three-year enhanced structural adjustment arrangements will be subject to a maximum limit of 250 percent of quota. However, Directors stressed again that the access limits do not constitute entitlements, and they agreed that access should normally be below the maximum and that the guidelines should be applied so that the rate of access for all qualifying members would average about 150 percent of quota. It was also indicated that, in highly exceptional circumstances, the maximum could be exceeded, but it was not envisaged that access would exceed 350 percent of quota even in these cases. These access limits, along with the operation of both the enhanced facility and the existing facility, will be subject to review in light of experience and the utilization of the available resources.

Directors agreed that the amount of resources committed to an individual qualifying member under a three-year enhanced structural adjustment arrangement and the amounts for the second- and third-year arrangements will be reviewed at the time of consideration of each annual program. However, most Directors indicated that, subject to the availability of resources, the amounts committed to a member would not normally be reduced because of developments in its balance of payments. However, in the event that balance of payments developments were markedly more favorable than envisaged at the time of approval of the three-year arrangement, and particularly because of improvements in the external environment, it would be suggested that the member reduce voluntarily its use of enhanced resources, either by requesting lower access at the time of approval of an annual arrangement or by forgoing in whole or in part a midyear disbursement.

Directors agreed that disbursements of loans under enhanced structural adjustment arrangements will be made semiannually, upon approval of an annual arrangement, and subsequently, on the basis of observance of performance criteria and, in most cases, completion of a midyear review. A range of views was expressed regarding the possibility of a limited front-loading of disbursements in some cases. Nonetheless, there seems to be a consensus that, subject to the availability of resources, the guideline should be that a uniform distribution of disbursements would be preferable and that any front-loading should not result in first-year disbursements exceeding 40 percent of the total amount to be made available under the three-year enhanced structural adjustment arrangement. However, I take it that there may be scope for a higher first-year disbursement in some very exceptional cases. Existing policies regarding members with overdue obligations to the Fund will be retained; how best to deal with cases of large and protracted arrears is a question to which we will return soon, but in a different context.

4. Relationship with other Fund facilities

Directors noted that members qualifying for loans under the enhanced structural adjustment facility would retain eligibility for access to the Fund’s general resources. Access to those resources will have to be examined carefully on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a range of factors envisaged in the present guidelines, including past performance and use of Fund resources, terms, the possible availability of financing from the enhanced facility and other sources, and the speed and time profile of the anticipated balance of payments adjustment.

The Chairman’s Remarks at the Conclusion of the Discussion on the Enhancement of the Structural Adjustment Facility—Legal Documentation Executive Board Meeting 87/176, December 18, 1987

…

Two issues of substance raised during this meeting deserve special mention. First, it was reconfirmed that lending to the ESAF Trust could be considered as part of a member’s official reserves by the Fund. Second, it was explained that access to the Fund’s general resources could be provided for members that had extended loans to the Trust and that needed liquidity in an amount not exceeding their claim. Purchases under these circumstances would be allowed if the member represented that it had a need, because of developments in its reserves in the sense of Article V, Section 3(b) (ii), and that the Fund agreed that the purchase was justified taking into account the amount of the requested purchase and the existence of a claim on the Trust. If the liquidity problem can be addressed on its own, there would be no need for an adjustment program to solve the balance of payments problem. Moreover, those purchases could be given certain characteristics by a decision to be taken when required. For instance, it could be decided, with respect to such purchases, to provide for special repurchase periods and for their exclusion from the definition of reserve tranche purchases. Those decisions would need to be adopted by an 85 percent majority. On the occasion on which this question was discussed, I heard no objections by an Executive Director to this approach, which had been suggested in the staff papers that have been discussed by the Board.

Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility—Access Limits

The Fund as Trustee under the Instrument to Establish the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust decides:

1. In accordance with Section II, paragraph 2(a) of the Instrument to Establish the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust, the initial maximum limit on access of each eligible member to the resources of the Trust under a three-year commitment shall be set at 140 percent of the member’s quota in the Fund, minus resources committed to the member for loans in association with Trust loans.

2. The maximum limit in paragraph 1 may be increased in exceptional circumstances not to exceed 185 percent of the member’s quota in the Fund, subject to the same deductions as in paragraph 1.

3. The Fund shall review the maximum access limit and the exceptional maximum limit, together with the operation of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility and the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust, not later than June 30, 1995.

Decision No. 8845-(88/61) ESAF

April 20, 1988,

as amended by Decision Nos. 9988-(92/48) ESAF, April 7, 1992,

10185-(92/132) ESAF, November 3, 1992,

10533-(93/170) ESAF, December 15, 1993, and

11879-(99/2) ESAF, January 6, 1999

__________

Pursuant to Decision No. 8845-(88/61) ESAF, adopted April 20, 1988, as amended, the Fund as Trustee of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust (ESAF Trust) has reviewed the operations of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF) and of the ESAF Trust and the maximum limit and the exceptional maximum limit on access to the resources of the ESAF Trust established by Decision No. 8759-(87/176) ESAF, adopted December 18, 1987, as amended.

Decision No. 11027-(95/65) ESAF

June 30, 1995

Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility—Interest Rate on Trust Loans

The Fund as Trustee under the Instrument to Establish the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust decides:

In accordance with Section II, paragraph 4(a) and Section IV, paragraph 5 of the Instrument to Establish the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust, the interest rate on loans from the Trust shall be set at 0.5 percent effective April 20, 1988.

Decision No. 8846-(88/61) ESAF

April 20, 1988

Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility—Borrowing for Loan Account—Consultation with Creditors

The Managing Director is authorized to confirm that he does not intend to propose to the Executive Board borrowing of more than SDR 6 billion for the Loan Account of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust except after consultation with all creditors regarding the justification for such additional borrowing and the adequacy of the Trust’s Reserve in relation thereto.

Decision No. 9056-(89/2) ESAF

January 11, 1989

__________

The Managing Director, after having consulted with all creditors in accordance with Decision No. 9056-(89/2) ESAF, adopted January 11, 1989, is authorized to confirm that he does not intend to propose to the Executive Board borrowing of more than SDR 11 billion for the Loan Account of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust except after consultation with all creditors regarding the justification for such additional borrowing and the adequacy of the Trust’s Reserve in relation thereto.

Decision No. 10534-(93/170) ESAF

December 15, 1993

__________

The Managing Director, after having consulted with all creditors in accordance with Decision No. 10534-(93/170) ESAF, adopted December 15, 1993, is authorized to confirm that he does not intend to propose to the Executive Board borrowing of more than SDR 11.5 billion for the Loan Account of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust except after consultation with all creditors regarding the justification for such additional borrowing and the adequacy of the Trust’s Reserve in relation thereto.

Decision No. 12032-(99/87) ESAF

August 2, 1999

Establishment of a Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations

1. The Fund adopts the Instrument to Establish a Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations, which is annexed to this decision.

2. The Fund shall conduct semi-annual reviews of the financing of the Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations.

Decision No. 11436-(97/10)

February 4, 1997,

as amended by Decision Nos. 11492-(97/45), April 24, 1997,

11861-(98/131) ESAF, December 18, 1998,

12087-(99/118) PRGF, October 21, 1999

effective November 2, 1999, and

12132-(00/9) PRGF, January 27, 2000

Section II. Contributions to the Trust

The Trustee may accept contributions of resources for the Account on such terms and conditions as may be agreed between the Trustee and the respective contributors, subject to the provisions of this Instrument. For this purpose, the Managing Director of the Trustee is authorized to accept grants and enter into loan, deposit or other types of investment agreements with the contributors to the Trust.

Section III. Trust Grants and Loans

Paragraph 1. Eligibility for assistance

In order to be eligible for assistance from the Trust under Section I, paragraph 2(a) of this Instrument, a member shall meet the following requirements:

(a) the member is PRGF-eligible, i.e., it is included in the list of members annexed to Decision No. 8240-(86/56) SAF, as amended;

(b) the member was pursuing a program of adjustment and reform by October 1, 1996, or the member shall have adopted such a program in the period beginning October 1, 1996 and ending December 31, 2000, supported by the Fund through PRGF or Extended Arrangements, or, on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Trustee, a Stand-By Arrangement, a decision on rights accumulation, or financial support under the Fund’s emergency assistance policy in post-conflict countries; and

(c) in support of the member’s adjustment and reform program, the member shall have received or is eligible to receive assistance to the full extent available under traditional debt relief mechanisms.

Paragraph 2. Qualification for assistance

The Trustee shall determine whether an eligible member qualifies for assistance under the Initiative in accordance with the criteria set out below:

(a) At the decision point, the DSA shall indicate that the member’s external debt situation, even after the assumed full application of traditional debt relief mechanisms, would not be sustainable.

(b) The member has not agreed on an exit operation with Paris Club creditors on Naples terms after September 1999.

(c) The member has established a track record of strong policy performance under Fund-supported programs, covering macroeconomic policies and structural and social policy reforms. This requirement shall normally be satisfied by an initial three-year performance period leading up to the decision point, followed by a second performance period leading up to the completion point, which shall be satisfied when a member has satisfactorily implemented a set of predefined key policy reforms, has a stable macroeconomic position, and has kept on track with its Fund-supported program. In addition, the member shall have prepared a PRSP and implemented this strategy satisfactorily for at least a year by the completion point. In the case of the first three-year period, such programs shall be programs supported by PRGF or Extended Arrangements, or, on a case-by-case basis as determined by the Trustee, Structural Adjustment Facility (SAF) arrangements, Stand-By Arrangements, decisions on rights accumulations, or programs supported by the Fund under the policy on emergency assistance for post-conflict countries. In the case of the second performance period, such programs shall be programs supported by PRGF or Extended Arrangements. It is expected that the member shall have a track record of strong and sustainable policy performance when the completion point is reached. The required period shall be evaluated flexibly by the Trustee. Members could receive credit toward the decision point for programs that were underway prior to the adoption of the Initiative.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (c) above and paragraph 6 below, for a member that has reached a decision point or a completion point prior to January 27, 2000, a commitment of assistance under the revised provisions of this instrument, and delivery of that assistance, may be made by the Trustee on the basis of assessments by the Trustee regarding satisfactory adjustment and reform efforts and overall progress in poverty reduction that is broadly acceptable.

(e) All other creditors (holding debt claims above a de minimis amount) of the member shall have agreed to take action under the initiative.

Paragraph 3. Amount of Assistance

(a) At the decision point, and in consultation with the Bank, the eligible member and its other creditors, the Trustee shall make a determination of the amount of resources that could be made available from the Trust to achieve a reduction in the present value of debt owed to the Fund by the member. The amount to be committed shall be confirmed by the Trustee in the context of satisfactory assurances regarding the exceptional assistance to be provided under the initiative by the member’s other creditors.

(b) At the decision point, based on the external debt sustainability targets established for the member, the Trustee shall commit the amount to be provided from the Trust to a member to permit a reduction in the present value of debt owed by it to the Fund. The specific amount of assistance to be committed by the Trustee will be based on (i) the Fund’s share in the present value of the multilateral debt of the member at the decision point; and (ii) the assistance to be provided by multilateral creditors, in terms of a reduction in the present value of the debt owed to them by the member sufficient to achieve the debt sustainability targets, taking into account the exceptional assistance to be provided by Paris Club creditors and at least comparable action by other official bilateral and commercial creditors under the Initiative.

(c) In case of protracted delays by a member in reaching the completion point because of problems in policy implementation, the Trustee may reassess that member’s eligibility and qualification for assistance, including the amount of assistance committed at the decision point.

(d) Following commitment of the assistance at the decision point, the Trustee may advance to the member as interim assistance a portion of such committed assistance not to exceed (i) 20 percent of the total assistance committed for each 12-month period following the decision point, and (ii) a maximum of 60 percent of the total assistance committed prior to the member reaching the completion point, provided that the amount of such assistance in any 12-month period does not exceed the amount of debt service falling due to the Fund during that period.

(e) At the completion point, the Trustee shall disburse the amount committed to the member at the decision point, less any disbursements made after the decision point. The Trustee retains the right to provide additional assistance at the completion point beyond that committed at the decision point if there has been a fundamental change in the member’s economic circumstances adversely affecting its debt sustainability, which was due to exogenous circumstances.

(f) Approval of the disbursements shall be given in the context of satisfactory assurances regarding the exceptional assistance to be provided under the Initiative by the member’s other creditors.

Paragraph 4. Terms of assistance

(a) The assistance to be provided by the Trust to a qualifying member shall be either through a Trust grant or a Trust loan, or both. The choice of a Trust grant, a Trust loan, or a combination thereof, shall be made by the Trustee on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the objective of bringing the debt-service-to-exports ratio (after assistance under the Initiative from the Fund and other creditors) to the debt sustainability target agreed for the member at the decision point. The maturity of a Trust loan shall be determined by the Trustee on a case-by-case basis, subject to paragraph 4(c) below, taking into account the need to smooth the time profile of the member’s total external debt service and its debt service to the Fund (after assistance under the Initiative from the Fund and other creditors). The schedule for using the proceeds of the Trust grant or the Trust loan by the member shall be agreed by the Trustee and the member taking into account the same criteria for deciding among a Trust grant, a Trust loan, or a combination thereof and the maturity of such loan.

(b) Trust grants and Trust loans (including any income from investment of their proceeds) shall be used to meet the member’s debt service payments on its existing debt to the Fund as they fall due in accordance with the schedule for using the proceeds of such grants and loans as determined under the provisions of (a) above.

(c) Trust loans shall be provided to members interest-free and shall have a maturity of no less than ten (10) years and up to twenty (20) years, including a grace period of no less than five-and-a-half (5½) years and up to ten-and-a-half (10½) years. The Trustee may not reschedule the repayment of Trust loans.

Paragraph 5. Disbursements

(a) Any disbursement of Trust grants and Trust loans shall be subject to the availability of resources to the Trust.

(b) The proceeds of a Trust grant or Trust loan (or both) shall be paid into a separate account for the benefit of the member and administered by the Trustee. The Trustee shall use these proceeds (including any income from investments of such proceeds) in accordance with paragraph 4(b) above. The terms and conditions for the operation of such account shall be determined by the Trustee.

Paragraph 6. Modifications

Any modification of these provisions will affect only Trust grants or Trust loans made after the effective date of the modification, provided that any modification of the interest rate shall apply to interest accruing after the effective date of the modification.

Section IV. Administration of the Trust

Paragraph 1. Trustee

(a) The Trust shall be administered by the Fund as Trustee. Decisions and other actions taken by the Fund as Trustee shall be identified as taken in that capacity.

(b) Subject to the provisions of this Instrument, the Fund in administering the Trust shall apply the same rules as apply to the operation of the General Resources Account of the Fund.

(c) The Trustee, acting through its Managing Director, is authorized:

• (i) to make all arrangements, including establishment of accounts in the name of the International Monetary Fund, which shall be accounts of the Fund as Trustee, with such depositories of the Fund as the Trustee deems necessary; and

• (ii) to take all other administrative measures that the Trustee deems necessary to implement the provisions of this Instrument.

Paragraph 2. Separation of assets and accounts, audits and reports

(a) The resources of the Trust shall be kept separate from the property and assets of all other accounts of the Fund, including other administered accounts, and shall be used only for the purposes of the Trust in accordance with this Instrument.

(b) The property and assets held in the other accounts of the Fund shall not be used to discharge liabilities or to meet losses arising out of the administration of the Trust. The resources of the Trust shall not be used to discharge liabilities or to meet losses arising out of the administration of the other accounts of the Fund.

(c) The Fund shall maintain separate financial records and prepare separate financial statements for the Trust.

(d) The audit committee selected under Section 20 of the Fund’s By-Laws shall audit the financial transactions and records of the Trust. The audit shall relate to the financial year of the Fund.

(e) The Fund shall report on the resources and operations of the Trust in the Annual Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors and shall include in the Annual Report the report of the audit committee on the Trust.

Paragraph 3. Investment of resources

(a) Any balance held by the Trust and not immediately needed in operations shall be invested.

(b) Investments may be made in any of the following: (i) marketable obligations issued by international financial organizations and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member of the Fund; (ii) marketable obligations issued by a member or by a national official financial institution of a member and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of that member; and (iii) deposits with a commercial bank, a national official financial institution of a member, or an international financial institution that are denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member. Investment which does not involve an exchange of currency shall be made only after consultation with the member whose currency is to be used, or, when an exchange of currency is involved, with the consent of the issuers of such currencies.

Section V. Period of Operation and Liquidation

Paragraph 1. Period of operation

The Trust established by this Instrument shall remain in effect for as long as is necessary, in the judgment of the Fund, to conduct and to wind up the business of the Trust.

Paragraph 2. Liquidation of the Trust

If the Trustee decides to wind up the operations of the Trust, the resources in the Account shall be used first to discharge all the liabilities of the Trust. Any amount remaining in the Account after the discharge of all the liabilities of the Trust shall be used first to reimburse the SDA for transfers made in accordance with Decision No. 11434-(97/10), adopted February 4, 1997, and any remaining amount shall then be made available for self-sustained PRGF operations, except that at the request of the contributor, its pro rata share in any unused resources contributed to finance the operations referred to in Section I, Paragraph 2(a) of this Instrument, after the completion of such operations, shall be distributed to the contributor.

Section VI. Amendment of the Instrument

The Fund may amend the provisions of the Instrument, except that any amendment of Section I, paragraph 2, Section IV, Section V and this Section shall require the consent of all contributors to the Trust.

The Chairman’s Summing Up at the Conclusion of the Discussion on the Modalities for Special ESAF Operations in the Context of the HIPC Initiative and Other ESAF Issues Executive Board Meetings 97/5, 97/8, and 97/10—January 22 and 31, and February 4, 1997

We have now established the structure and modalities for special ESAF operations under the HIPC Initiative, based on the agreement reached in the September Board meetings and the endorsement of the Interim and Development Committee meetings. The decisions to establish the ESAF-HIPC Trust will allow us to place to that account the resources that have already been accumulating for these purposes. The additional decision to allow an early transfer of Reserve Account resources to the Special Disbursement Account (SDA) for the financing of special ESAF operations—to the extent that sufficient resources for this purpose are not immediately available from other sources—responds to the Interim Committee’s request to proceed quickly with the implementation of the HIPC Initiative. Together with consents to an early transfer from all ESAF Trust Loan Account creditors, which will be sought during the coming weeks, these decisions will permit the Fund to commit its resources as a participant in the Initiative, as the first countries reach their decision points and are judged to require assistance under the Initiative.

This exercise has been technically complex and has surfaced very genuine and legitimate differences of view regarding how best to provide the assistance needed by our poorest and most heavily indebted members. All of you want to assure that the resources used for this purpose produce the best results—and views can differ on how to accomplish that. I appreciate the spirit all of you brought to this and your willingness to compromise.

In agreeing to the authorization for an early transfer of Reserve Account resources, some Directors stressed the need for maintaining a maximum effort by all to secure bilateral contributions and, if necessary, to consider the optimization of the management of the Fund’s reserves for the financing of interim ESAF subsidies and special ESAF operations. We will certainly maintain this effort and the financing of the Trust will be kept under regular review.

****

While some of the operational details will need to be developed on a case-by-case basis as specific country cases are presented to the Boards of the Fund and the Bank, a number of issues have been raised by Directors that will need to be taken into account when implementing the HIPC Initiative and the Fund’s participation therein.

First, Directors considered that there should be a presumption that ESAF arrangements with HIPC-eligible countries, and especially arrangements during the second stage, would be among the stronger ESAF arrangements. This is appropriate in light of the seriousness of the problems confronting these countries, the need to progress as rapidly as possible with structural reform, and the need to protect Fund resources. We can thus expect to see more frontloading of policy reform and forceful action on critical structural measures in these arrangements.

Second, Directors emphasized that under the agreed framework endorsed by the Interim and Development Committees any shortening of the second stage would be on an exceptional basis for countries which have already sustained records of strong performance and for which the adjustment and reform effort has become firmly rooted. This matter would be decided on a case-by-case basis by the Boards of the Fund and the Bank.

Third, some Directors expressed the view that approval of more than two three-year ESAF arrangements, including for HIPCs having reached their completion points, should be on an exceptional basis. However, most Directors were of the view that the continued ESAF should in principle be open to all ESAF-eligible members, given the protracted nature of the problems faced by many of them, their vulnerability to external shocks, and the risk of a recurrence of problems even after a sustained period of successful adjustment. Directors stressed that the continuation of ESAF is intended to maintain the Fund’s ability to respond to eligible members’ needs as they arise, and not to provide a source of continuous financing for individual countries. Directors also agreed that countries having benefited from exceptional assistance under the HIPC Initiative at the completion point would in most cases be expected to have made major progress toward a viable balance of payments position or achieved it, although they were likely to remain dependent on development aid flows. I have also noted the interest expressed by some Directors in exploring the scope for precautionary ESAF arrangements and we will return to that matter.

Fourth, Directors agreed that any reduction at the completion point of the assistance committed to a member at the decision point, would be taken only in concert with all other creditors and only where a major windfall transforms the economic circumstances of the member concerned and not when the improvement in its circumstances is the result of more ambitious adjustment and reform efforts undertaken by the member.

Fifth, Directors discussed the vulnerability factors that should be taken into account at the decision point in determining the debt sustainability targets. These might include a range of factors in addition to those mentioned in the decision, including, as suggested by some Directors, the present value of external debt-to-GDP ratio.

Sixth, the reference to extended arrangements as satisfying the requirement of a track record of strong policy performance in the case of the second three-year period is intended only to cover the possibility that interim ESAF operations could take the form of extended arrangements in the General Resources Account.

Finally, regarding the amounts of Fund assistance under the HIPC Initiative, Directors reiterated the importance of one of the guiding principles of the Initiative, i.e., that the assistance provided by the Fund and other multilateral creditors should preserve the financial integrity of the institutions and their preferred creditor status. Directors emphasized that before deciding on commitments or disbursements, the Fund would need to have satisfactory assurances concerning the actions and decisions to be taken—on their own responsibilities and in accordance with their own procedures—by other involved creditors. It would not be productive to try to formulate these considerations in mechanical terms in the abstract, but we will have them clearly in mind in considering individual cases.

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Several Directors asked for an early report to the Board on progress on financing the ESAF/HIPC initiatives, including through bilateral contributions. The staff will discuss this issue in the context of a paper on the use of SCA-2 resources, to be presented to the Board in the coming weeks.

Trust for Special Esaf Operations for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim ESAF Subsidy Operations—Terms and Conditions for Administration of Account Provided Under Section III, Paragraph 5(b) of Trust

Pursuant to Section III, Paragraph 5(b) of the Instrument to Establish a Trust for Special ESAF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim ESAF Subsidy Operations (ESAF-HIPC Trust), the Fund, as Trustee of the ESAF-HIPC Trust, establishes the following terms and conditions for the administration of the Account provided for under that provision:

1. The resources of the Account shall consist of (i) the proceeds of grants and/or loans paid into the Account for the benefit of a member by the ESAF-HIPC Trust, and (ii) net earnings from the investment of resources held in the Account.

2. Within the Account, the Trustee shall establish a separate sub-account for the administration of the resources paid into the Account for the benefit of each member for which the resources have been paid. The Trustee shall establish a sub-account within the Account whenever the Fund as Trustee of the ESAF-HIPC Trust grants final approval of a Trust grant and/or Trust loan under the ESAF-HIPC Trust.

3. Following the establishment of a sub-account, the Fund, as Trustee, shall be authorized to use the resources of the sub-account (including any net income from the investment of such resources) to meet the member’s debt service payments on its existing debt to the Fund as they fall due in accordance with the Schedule for using the proceeds of grants and loans as determined under the provisions of Section III, Paragraph 4(b) of the Instrument to Establish the ESAF-HIPC Trust.

4. (a) Resources held in a sub-account of the Account and not immediately needed for operations shall be invested.

(b) Investments may be made in any of the following: (i) marketable obligations issued by international financial organizations and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member of the Fund; (ii) marketable obligations issued by a member or by a national official financial institution of a member and denominated in SDRs or in the currency of that member; and (iii) deposits with a commercial bank, a national official financial institution of a member, or an international financial institution that are denominated in SDRs or in the currency of a member. Investment which does not involve an exchange of currency shall be made only after consultation with the member whose currency is to be used, or, when an exchange of currency is involved, with the consent of the issuers of such currencies. Earnings, net of any transactions costs, shall accrue to the sub-account and shall be available for the purposes of the sub-account.

(c)The Managing Director of the Trustee is authorized (i) to make all arrangements, including establishment of accounts in the name of the Trustee, with such depositories as may be necessary to carry out the operations of the Account, and (ii) to take all measures necessary to implement the provisions of this decision.

5. The SDR shall be the unit of account.

6. (a) Resources received into a sub-account may be in U.S. dollars or such other media as may be determined by the Trustee.

(b) Resources held in a sub-account may be currencies or currencies exchanged for SDRs in accordance with such arrangements as may be made by the Trustee for the holding and use of SDRs.

(c)The Trustee may exchange any of the resources held in a sub-account provided that any balance of a currency held in the sub-account may be exchanged only with the consent of the issuer of such currency.

(d) Payments made from a sub-account shall be made in U.S. dollars or such other media as may be determined by the Trustee.

7. Assets held in the Account shall be kept separate from the assets and property of all other accounts of, or administered by, the Trustee. The assets of the Account shall not be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses incurred by the Trustee in the administration of such other accounts. The assets and property held in a sub-account of the Account shall not be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses of the Trustee in the administration of any other sub-account of the Account.

8. Subject to the provisions of this decision, the Trustee, in administering the Account, shall apply, mutatis mutandis, the same rules and procedures as apply to the operations of the General Resources Account of the Fund.

9. No charge shall be levied for the services rendered by the Trustee in the administration, operation, and termination of the Account.

10. (a) The Trustee shall maintain separate financial records and prepare separate financial statements for the Account. Such records and statements will be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The financial statements for the Account shall be expressed in SDRs.

(b)The External Audit Committee selected under Section 20 of the Trustee’s By-Laws shall audit the operations and transactions conducted through the Account. The audit shall relate to the financial year of the Trustee.

(c)The Trustee shall report on the resources and operations of the Account in the Annual Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors and shall include in that Annual Report the report of the External Audit Committee on the Account.

11. (a) The Account shall remain in effect for as long as is necessary, in the judgment of the Trustee, to conduct and to wind up the business of the Account. A sub-account for a particular member would be wound up when the resources of that sub-account have been exhausted in servicing the member’s obligations to the Fund.

(b) Any balance remaining in a sub-account upon termination and after the discharge of all obligations of that sub-account shall be transferred promptly to the member for which the sub-account had been established.

Decision No. 11698-(98/38) ESAF

April 1, 1998

Transformation of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility

1. The name of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility established by Decision No. 8757 (87/176) SAF/ESAF, adopted December 18, 1987, shall be changed to the “Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.”

2. The following changes shall be made to the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust established by Decision No. 8759-(87/176) ESAF, adopted December 18, 1987:

(a)The name of the Trust shall be changed to the “Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust”; accordingly, Paragraph 1 of Decision No. 8759 and the Title and Introductory Section of the ANNEX to that Decision, containing the Trust Instrument, shall be amended by substituting “Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust” for “Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust”;

(b) Section I, Paragraph 1 of the Trust Instrument shall be amended to read as follows:

The Trust shall assist in fulfilling the purposes of the Fund by providing loans on concessional terms (hereinafter called “Trust loans”) to low-income developing members that qualify for assistance under this Instrument, in order to support programs to strengthen substantially and in a sustainable manner their balance of payments position and to foster durable growth, leading to higher living standards and a reduction in poverty.

3. The name of the “Trust for Special ESAF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim ESAF Subsidy Operations” shall be changed to the “Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations.” Accordingly,

(a) Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Decision No. 11436-(97/10), adopted February 4, 1997, and the title and Introductory Section of the ANNEX to that Decision containing the Trust Instrument, shall be amended by substituting “Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations” for “Trust for Special ESAF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim ESAF Subsidy Operations.”

(b)All references to “ESAF” in Section I, paragraphs 1(viii) and 1(ix), Section I, paragraph 2(b), Section III, Paragraphs 1(a) and 1(b), and Section HI, Paragraph 2(c) of the Trust Instrument shall be changed to references to “PRGF.”

4. References in other Fund decisions, instruments, agreements or documents related to the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility, the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility Trust, or any of its Accounts, the ESAF, the ESAF Trust, the Trust for Special ESAF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim ESAF Subsidy Operations, or the ESAF-HIPC Trust shall be understood to be to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust, or any of its Accounts, the PRGF, the PRGF Trust, the Trust for Special PRGF Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Interim PRGF Subsidy Operations, or the PRGF-HIPC Trust, respectively.

5. This Decision shall become effective when all contributors to the ESAF Trust have consented to the changes.

Decision No. 12087-(99/118) PRGF

October 21, 1999, effective November 22, 1999

Summing Up by the Chairman Enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP)—Progress Reports and Review of Implementation Executive Board Meeting 00/90, September 5, 2000

Executive Directors welcomed the HIPC and PRSP progress reports and, in particular, the enhanced cooperation between the Fund and the World Bank, reflected in the draft statement by the Managing Director and the President of the World Bank to the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) and the Development Committee (DC). They were pleased to note the progress made so far in implementing the HIPC Initiative, which—together with traditional debt relief mechanisms and with further action by bilateral creditors—is already reducing substantially the debt burden of a good number of poor countries.

Directors favored the measures being taken to accelerate the implementation of the enhanced HIPC Initiative and to progress further toward the objective of 20 countries reaching their decision points in 2000. In this regard, some Directors noted that an updated country-by-country status would be useful to provide the international community with an overview of the main factors that stand in the way of some countries reaching their decision point before end-2000.

Directors agreed that an overall track record of three years of Bank- and Fund-supported programs prior to the decision point should in general be maintained, but that this should be interpreted flexibly on a case-by-case basis. Most Directors also agreed that the track record requirements immediately preceding a decision point may need to be applied flexibly, especially for countries that have experienced significant program interruptions. They emphasized, however, that countries need to demonstrate strong commitment to reform programs, particularly in the areas of governance and accountability, and that the link between debt relief and poverty reduction should be clearly maintained. In this regard, Directors stressed the importance of establishing a clear framework for the tracking of public expenditure on poverty reduction. A few Directors favored the maintenance of a track record requirement under Fund-supported programs immediately prior to the decision point, particularly for the most difficult cases, to ensure a prospect for a durable resolution of countries’ debt problems.

A number of Directors questioned the extent of floating completion point structural conditionality. They urged the staff to continue to focus floating completion point requirements on a key number of policy actions on poverty reduction, as well as requiring a stable macroeconomic position, and that the country has kept on track with its Fund-supported program.

Directors urged potential HIPC countries that have not yet embarked on IDA- and IMF-supported adjustment programs to do so expeditiously, and thus to begin to establish their eligibility for HIPC debt relief. In this context, most Directors favored that the current end-2000 sunset date for countries to enter into such programs and be eligible for assistance under the Initiative be extended by a further two years to end-2002.

Directors underscored the critical importance of pursuing prudent debt management and of securing adequate concessional financing for the successful implementation of the HIPC Initiative. Several Directors emphasized the importance for calculations of debt relief to take into account the impact of recent adverse terms of trade developments; it was noted that the existing framework is flexible in this regard. Directors agreed that debt relief is only one element of a comprehensive strategy to support poverty reduction in HIPC countries, and noted, in particular, that increased access to industrial country markets is also critical.

Directors welcomed the efforts of the staff to seek participation and contributions from all creditors, including non-Paris Club bilateral creditors. Some Directors noted the financing problems faced by non-Paris Club creditors, especially those that were themselves HIPC countries, and called on the international community for a more innovative and flexible solution for this category of creditors. They expressed their clear expectation that all donors will take the necessary steps to fulfill early pledges of contributions in a timely manner. The issue of Fund financing will be discussed separately on September 13th, 2000.

On PRSPs, Directors welcomed the progress that has been achieved to date. They were encouraged by the favorable response in countries engaged in preparing nationally owned poverty reduction strategy documents and the extent to which countries have drawn on their own prior experience. They noted that, in many cases, the information provided, the degree of participation and the level of political authority involved in the preparation of interim PRSPs was much higher than had been envisaged.

At the same time, Directors acknowledged the challenges facing countries as they move to preparing full PRSPs and attempt to develop well-specified and prioritized programs from what were, in some cases, only broad statements of intent in their interim PRSPs. These challenges include, inter alia, reliance on inadequate poverty data and limited institutional and analytical capacity on the part of both governments and civil society, and the need to ensure that broad-based participation does not undermine the authority of national parliaments and existing democratic processes. Directors therefore welcomed the current or planned involvement of multilateral and bilateral development partners in supporting countries’ efforts to upgrade data and to build institutional capacity. They considered that efforts need to be redoubled to ensure that the views of the poor are taken into account in developing poverty reduction strategies. Further analytical work is also needed, particularly with regard to the link between growth and poverty reduction, and Directors noted with approval that the Bank and Fund staff are intensifying their research efforts in this area. They looked forward to the Board review of this work in the near future.

Directors recognized that there is a tension between, on one hand, accelerating debt relief and maintaining the pace of IDA and IMF concessional assistance and, on the other hand, ensuring that HIPC resources and concessional financing are linked to country-owned poverty reduction strategies. While the introduction of interim PRSPs and of interim assistance under the HIPC Initiative has proven to be helpful in this respect, Directors cautioned that this inherent tension will intensify as countries move to full PRSPs. Moreover, while the quality of PRSPs will develop and improve through successive cycles, a wide range should be expected for the first PRSPs. Directors welcomed the World Bank’s intention to strengthen the links between PRSPs and IDA assistance through the use of a Poverty Reduction Support Credit.

Directors also recognized that there is a tension between country ownership and the requirements on the part of IDA and the IMF to assess whether the content of individual country strategies provide an adequate basis for the institutions’ concessional lending. While concluding that the need to make such judgments is inescapable, they supported the approach outlined in the Board paper for amplifying guidance to staff on the assessment of the core content of poverty reduction strategies, and the participatory process, noting this guidance would enhance transparency without infringing on the principle of country ownership. However, they stressed that such guidance should not be overly prescriptive.

Directors acknowledged that the originally envisaged one-year interval between discussion of an interim PRSP and completion of a full PRSP may be too short. They endorsed the staff’s recommendation whereby countries unable to complete a full PRSP within a year of their initial interim PRSP could provide a progress report, accompanied by an updated Joint Staff Assessment, as a basis for obtaining continued access to concessional assistance and, where applicable, interim debt relief. A few Directors, however, favored a fuller update of the PRSP document, including progress being made with regard to the participatory process and where appropriate the planned use of HIPC debt relief resources.

Directors welcomed the background staff paper on the key features of PRGF-supported programs (SM/00/193). They endorsed it as providing useful guidance that will help ensure that macroeconomic policies and other aspects of a country’s poverty reduction strategy are effectively integrated, and that PRGF-supported programs are formulated in ways that support increased national ownership. They looked forward to the changes described in the paper becoming increasingly included in new PRGF arrangements. They also welcomed the intention to make the paper publicly available, as a way of clarifying expectations and fostering public debate on the issues.

Summing Up by the Acting Chairman Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries—Proposal for Streamlining Preliminary Documents Executive Board Meeting 00/108, November 3, 2000

Directors considered the proposals for streamlining preliminary HIPC documents in EBS/00/207. They agreed that preliminary documents should be streamlined as proposed in paragraph 7 of the paper to focus on a few key issues, notably: eligibility; track record; summary debt sustainability analysis; timing of possible decision points; possible triggers for the floating completion point; and likely assistance under the Initiative. A number of Directors emphasized that streamlining should not be allowed to compromise the quality and coverage of the information presented to the Board. Some Directors considered that reaching a decision point before the end of the year may be premature for some of the country cases currently envisaged for consideration within that time frame. Accordingly, requests were made that the preliminary documents also include the rationale for the choice of completion point triggers, details on the debt service profiles before and after HIPC Initiative assistance, more information on expenditure tracking and monitoring of debt relief, plans for interim relief, and policies on transparency. Directors also stressed that adequate information on a country’s performance under the PRGF, and the justifications for any shortening of the required track record—where appropriate—should be included. The staff will take these factors into account when preparing these papers.

Directors also supported the proposal that, for the remainder of this year, the streamlined preliminary documents be discussed by the Board on a case-by-case basis, after a review period of five working days.

Directors generally supported a review of the experience with these arrangements early in 2001.

Technical Assistance—Establishment of Framework Administered Account

1. Pursuant to Article V, Section 2(b), the Fund adopts the Instrument to establish an account for the administration by the Fund of resources to be contributed by: (i) governments or other official agencies of countries and (ii) intergovernmental organizations, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Instrument set forth in the Annex to EBS/95/56.

2. The provisions of the Instrument may only be amended by a decision of the Fund and with the concurrence of the contributors that are financing activities through the account at the time of such decision.

Decision No. 10942-(95/33)

April 3, 1995,

as amended by Decision No. 11162-(95/121), December 19, 1995

ANNEX TO EBS/95/56 Instrument for a Framework Administered Account for Technical Assistance Activities

To help fulfill its purposes, the International Monetary Fund (the “Fund”) has adopted this Instrument to establish an account in accordance with Article V, Section 2(b) which shall be governed by, and administered in accordance with, the provisions of this Instrument.

1. The Fund hereby establishes an account (the “Framework Account”) for the purpose of the administration of resources to be contributed by: (i) governments or other official agencies of countries and (ii) intergovernmental organizations (“Contributor”), in order to finance technical assistance activities of the Fund.

2. The resources provided by Contributors to the Framework Account shall be: (i) grants, or (ii) proceeds of grants or loans that have been received by the Contributor from entities other than the Fund for the purpose of financing technical assistance to the Contributor. The resources may be used by the Fund only for technical assistance activities consistent with its purposes, in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph 3 of this Instrument.

3. The financing of technical assistance activities shall be implemented through the establishment and operation of sub-accounts within the Framework Account. The establishment of a sub-account shall be subject to prior approval by the Fund, upon the recommendation of the Managing Director. When recommending approval of the establishment of a sub-account, the Managing Director shall specify the essential terms of the understandings that have been reached between the Contributor and the Managing Director regarding (i) the nature, design and implementation of the technical assistance activities to be financed from the sub-account in question and (ii) the method by which the costs of the technical assistance activities will be financed from resources contributed to the sub-account by the Contributor. Following the establishment of a sub-account, the Fund shall be authorized to use the resources in the sub-account in accordance with the understandings reached between the Contributor and the Managing Director.

4. Costs charged to a sub-account of the Framework Account as a result of costs incurred by the Fund in the performance of technical assistance activities shall be based on standard costs as determined by the Fund, unless otherwise agreed between the Fund and the Contributor. A sub-account shall also be charged an amount equivalent to a percentage of such costs so as to help cover the expenses incurred by the Fund in the administration of the technical assistance activities financed from the sub-account in question.

5. Resources in a sub-account may be used to make disbursements to the Fund’s General Resources Account as required to reimburse the Fund for expenditures incurred by the Fund on account of any technical assistance activity financed by resources from such sub-account.

6. All transactions and operations of the Framework Account shall be denominated in U.S. dollars.

7. Resource held in a sub-account of the Framework Account pending disbursement shall be invested at the discretion of the Managing Director. Earnings net of any costs associated with such investments shall accrue to the sub-account and shall be available for the purposes of the sub-account.

8. Subject to the requirement of Fund approval specified in paragraph 3, the Managing Director is authorized (i) to make all arrangements, including establishment of accounts in the name of the Fund, as he deems necessary to carry out the operations of the Framework Account; and (ii) to take all other measures he deems necessary to implement the provisions of this Instrument.

9. Assets held in the Framework Account shall be accounted for separately from the assets and property of other accounts of, or administered by, the Fund. The assets and property held in such other accounts shall not be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses of the Fund incurred in the administration of the Framework Account nor shall the assets of the Framework Account be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses incurred by the Fund in the administration of such other accounts. The assets and property held in each sub-account of the Framework Account shall not be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses of the Fund incurred in the administration of any other sub-account of the Framework Account.

10. (a) The Fund shall maintain separate financial records and prepare separate financial statements for the Framework Account. Such records and statements, which shall include a breakdown with respect to each sub-account, will be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The financial statements for the Framework Account shall be expressed in U.S. dollars. Each Contributor shall receive annually, or more often if agreed, a report on expenditures from that Contributor’s contributions to the Framework Account and a review of the activities financed by that Contributor through the Framework Account.

(b)The External Audit Committee selected under Section 20 of the Fund’s By-Laws shall audit the operations and transactions conducted through the Framework Account. The audit shall relate to the financial year of the Fund.

(c)The Fund shall report on the position of the Framework Account, including a breakdown with respect to each sub-account, in the Annual Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors and shall include in that Annual Report the report of the External Audit Committee on the Framework Account.

11. Subject to the provisions of this Instrument, the Fund, in administering the Framework Account, shall apply, mutatis mutandis, the same rules and procedures as apply to the operation of the General Resources Account of the Fund.

12. The Framework Account or any sub-account thereof may be terminated by the Fund at any time; the termination of the Framework Account shall terminate each sub-account thereof. A sub-account may also be terminated by the Contributor of the resources to the sub-account. Termination shall be effective on the date that the Fund or the Contributor, as the case may be, receives notice of termination, or such later date, if any, as may be specified in the notice of termination. Any balances, net of the amounts of continuing liabilities and commitments under the activities financed, that may remain in a sub-account upon its termination shall be transferred promptly to the Contributor.

Enhanced Surveillance: Procedures for Transmittal of Staff Reports

When the Executive Board has approved a request by a member for consultations under the Fund’s policy on enhanced surveillance, the annual and midyear consultation reports prepared by the Fund staff in accordance with that policy in respect of the member may be transmitted by the member to creditor banks and other creditor financial institutions party to the arrangements specified by the member in the request for consultations, on the understanding that the recipients of the reports have assured the member that the reports will not be used for any purpose other than those of the arrangements specified in the member’s request to the Fund and will be kept confidential; and that the reports shall not be transmitted by the member earlier than two weeks after their circulation to members of the Executive Board.

Decision No. 8222-(86/45)

March 12, 1986

The Chairman’s Summing Up of the Discussion of the Role of the Fund in Assisting Members with Commercial Banks and Official Creditors Executive Board Meeting 85/132, September 4, 1985

General Remarks

The procedures relating to enhanced surveillance that have been discussed by Directors were developed in response to the need to help members make progress toward addressing their debt problems and improving their relations with their creditors in an orderly manner and in a broader framework.

It was noted by many Directors that by adapting some of its policies, the Fund had played a central role in helping to limit the disruptions associated with the debt crisis and in promoting a normalization of debtor/creditor relations. Most Directors, however, observed that the practice of enhanced surveillance that had developed involved some risks. Some Directors stressed the risk of a possible weakening of Fund conditionality. Others feared that the Fund might tend to become too deeply and too specifically involved in relations with the commercial banks, and that generalized reliance on the Fund’s judgment by the international community could affect the Fund’s credibility and interfere with the normal functioning of the markets, which should rely eventually on the banks’ own assessments. In other words, enhanced surveillance in the view of most Directors should not become a substitute for stand-by and extended arrangements and should not “crowd out” or “dilute” the Fund’s normal procedures and transform the institution into a kind of universal credit-rating agency. In that vein, a majority of Directors, while recognizing the usefulness of the practices that have evolved, considered that enhanced surveillance should be used on a limited basis under the guidance and control of the Executive Board, essentially to help promote MYRAs (multi-year rescheduling arrangements), although all MYRAs might not be associated with enhanced surveillance.

Criteria and Procedures

a. Criteria for the adoption of enhanced surveillance

While several Directors insisted on the need for flexibility and on the importance of avoiding too rigid criteria, most Directors felt that enhanced surveillance could be undertaken when the four following conditions are met:

First, at the request of a member country, who must initiate the procedures;

Second, in cases where a good record of adjustment has been shown;

Third, in cases in which a MYRA is needed to normalize market relations and to facilitate the return to voluntary or spontaneous financing;

Fourth, in cases where the member is in a position to present an adequate quantified policy program in the framework of consultations with the Fund staff, which are part of the procedure of enhanced surveillance.

b. Length of the Fund’s involvement

Directors thought that, on the whole, the early cases of enhanced surveillance had covered rather too long periods. They felt that in the future the Fund should try to limit the procedure to about the consolidation period of a MYRA. I would suggest that we should retain some flexibility and remain open to the possibility of extending enhanced surveillance a little beyond the consolidation period. If the Fund were to cut off enhanced surveillance at the end of the consolidation period, the communication of reports to the banks would be halted at a delicate time in the normalization of relations between the country and its creditors; i.e., at the time when the country will need more voluntary financing to meet external payments falling due. While we should try to limit enhanced surveillance as much as possible to the consolidation period, there might be occasions when an extension of enhanced surveillance into the period after consolidation may be necessary and warranted.

c. Trigger mechanisms

A number of Directors feared that staff involvement in the design and the negotiation of trigger mechanisms between the commercial banks and the member country risked diluting the banks’ responsibility in the monitoring process under MYRAs and risked engaging the Fund in providing on/off signals to the banks. Most Directors felt that the staff should not negotiate or take responsibility for designing and assessing trigger mechanisms. But, if the member wished, the Fund staff would not refuse to give its views on the purely technical merits or drawbacks of such mechanisms. It is important to emphasize that the Fund should take no active part in the negotiation of the design of these trigger mechanisms.

d. Contents and distribution of staff reports

Directors stressed the need to ensure that staff reports to be issued to creditor banks under the policy of enhanced surveillance continue to provide full and frank assessments of the policies and economic prospects of member countries. While a number of Directors were of the view that staff reports should be made available to creditor banks under the enhanced surveillance procedures only after the Executive Board had met to discuss the reports, most Directors agreed that countries would be authorized to release these staff reports to their creditor banks not earlier than two weeks after their issuance to the Executive Board. The majority of Directors were of the view that authorization to release staff reports should be provided by a general decision pertaining to all cases for which enhanced surveillance is agreed rather than by an individual decision in each case. The reports to be released to creditor banks would reflect only the staffs views and would not contain any references to the discussions and views of the Executive Board. No amendments to the staff report other than the deletion of references to Board discussions would be made.

e. Involvement of the Executive Board

I understand that the procedure would be as follows: First, request by a member for enhanced surveillance; second, management assesses the case in accordance with the policies agreed by the Executive Board today and determines whether to submit the request for the endorsement of the Board. In cases where the criteria raise delicate problems of interpretation, management would continue to consult informally with Executive Directors at the earliest opportunity.

…

g. Review of the policy on enhanced surveillance

A number of Directors suggested that in view of the need to assess changing circumstances and the possible effects of the procedures for enhanced surveillance on the Fund and its policies, the Board should engage in a periodic review of the policy of enhanced surveillance, with an initial review to be held in about one year.

Enhanced Surveillance: Midterm Review

The midterm review of a member’s economic policy program under enhanced surveillance shall be conducted in accordance with the following procedure. A staff report will be circulated to the Executive Directors under cover of a note from the Secretary specifying a tentative date for Executive Board discussion which will be at least 15 days later than the date upon which the report is circulated. The Secretary’s note will also set out a draft decision taking note of the staff report and completing the review without discussion or approval of the views contained in the report; the decision will be adopted upon the expiration of the two-week period following the circulation of the staff report to the Executive Directors unless, within such period, there is a request from an Executive Director or a decision of the Managing Director to place the report on the agenda of the Executive Board. If the staff report is placed on the agenda, the Executive Board will discuss the report and will reach conclusions which will be reflected in a summing up.

Decision No. 10365-(93/67)

May 10, 1993

Summing Up by the Chairman Biennial Review of the Fund’s Surveillance Policy Executive Board Meeting 93/15, January 29, 1993

…

The Executive Board agreed that the criteria relating to enhanced surveillance set out on pages 28 and 29 of SM/92/234 [below] would be appropriate. In sum, these provide that the procedures, which would normally be initiated by the authorities in the context of Article IV discussions, would involve submitting a quantified annual economic program, generally formulated with the assistance of the staff, and also half-yearly reports to the Board; both the Article IV reports (as appropriately modified) and the half-yearly reports could be made available to creditors. Application of the procedures would be approved by the Executive Board until the next Article IV consultation or for a 12-month period. These procedures should be reviewed within two years, and in the interim, they will be applied with a view to the concerns noted by you today and during the discussion of January 27.

Most Executive Directors emphasized the importance of a greater commitment of members to current account convertibility as evidenced by the acceptance of Article VIII obligations. They agreed that many members have availed themselves of Article XIV for too long and should take appropriate steps to remove remaining restrictions. Therefore, the staff will intensify its efforts to encourage countries to accept the obligations of Article VIII, especially in those long-standing cases where there are no restrictions subject to Articles VIII or XIV.

…

SM/92/234

…

The principal features of the proposed revised enhanced surveillance procedures are summarized below.

1. Enhanced surveillance procedures would be initiated by a member with a request for Fund monitoring of its macroeconomic and structural policies, usually at the time of the Article IV consultation.

2. The Executive Board would respond to the member’s request on a case-by-case basis, taking into account among other things a member’s track record of adjustment.

3. In recognition of a concern of Executive Directors at the time of the 1989 review of enhanced surveillance, each Executive Board approval of the application of the procedures would be only until the time of the next Article IV consultation with the member (or a 12-month period), when a further request for application of the procedures could be presented. Limiting the duration of the procedures to a relatively short period should reduce the need for unilateral termination of such procedures by the Fund.

4. The member’s request for enhanced surveillance would be granted on the strength of a quantified economic policy program, which had been discussed with the Fund staff, usually as part of the consultation discussions. It is expected that there would be a mid-term review of progress under the economic program before the next scheduled Article IV consultation, irrespective of the actual performance; failing which, Directors would be informed of the absence of the review and the reasons. The review report would be issued by the staff under the same procedures as for interim consultations and the Executive Board would take note of the report on a lapse-of-time basis unless a discussion was requested by a Director or the Managing Director.

5. As before, enhanced surveillance would not involve Executive Board approval or endorsement of the macroeconomic program presented by the member.

6. Information on the economic program and its implementation, as well as the staff’s assessment of the situation as contained in the staff reports, could be made available by the authorities to donors and creditors on a timely basis. In addition to the staff report, official creditors/donors would also receive the Chairman’s summing up of the Executive Board discussion.

Summing up by the Acting Chairman Settlement of Disputes Between Members Relating to External Financial Obligations—Role of the Fund Executive Board Meeting 84/99, June 22, 1984

I shall begin by outlining four general points that were made in the course of the Board discussion. First, Executive Directors generally endorsed the approach that the Fund has taken in the three major aspects of the subject dealt with in the staff paper.

Second, Directors agreed that the functioning of the international monetary system depended on members’ fulfilling their international financial obligations promptly and according to the terms of those obligations. Therefore, the Fund had a direct interest in the settlement of overdue obligations and a role to play in accordance with the Articles of Agreement.

Third, there was a consensus that the circumstances surrounding overdue financial obligations typically were complex, and that there were often important differences among individual cases. Thus, Directors preferred not to codify the Fund’s approach in each of the three main areas discussed. Instead, most of them supported the idea that the Fund should continue to fulfill its responsibilities under the Articles on a case-by-case basis within the context of the present policies and procedures, which could be expected to continue to evolve as individual cases of overdue financial obligations and related general policy matters were discussed. There was a strong feeling among Directors that the Fund should show caution and restraint in making judgments on issues involving claims on such overdue obligations.

Fourth, Directors stressed the importance of the Fund’s helping member governments to improve their statistical base and to increase the supply of information on their external debt obligations, particularly in cases involving overdue claims. Where necessary, the Fund could provide the technical resources to help sort out the frequently complex circumstances surrounding the debt situation, including individual cases.

Let me turn now to more specific comments on the three major areas dealt with in the staff paper. With respect to the Fund’s jurisdiction under Article VIII and Article XIV, there was strong support for the policies and practices that the Fund had followed to date. Directors generally agreed that, in exercising its functions under Article VIII and Article XIV, the Fund was entitled to examine the context in which nonpayment of a financial obligation had occurred in order to determine whether or not it involved an exchange restriction and, as such, was subject to Fund approval, and that members were obliged to provide the information that the Fund required to make such a determination. The Fund has developed a substantial body of principles and practices for determining which measures were and were not within its jurisdiction and when approval under Article VIII was appropriate. These judgments were inherent in the exercise of the Fund’s jurisdiction.

Executive Directors also generally endorsed the Fund’s existing policies and practices for dealing with disputed financial obligations in members using Fund resources. This concerned primarily the identification and treatment of payments arrears. Directors accepted the general premise that, to restore its financial position, a member country must reduce and eliminate its external payments arrears. In that context, there was broad support for the approach that the Fund had taken to the problems involving countries with large external payments arrears. It was noted that the degree of involvement by the Fund in helping countries to deal with their arrears had varied depending, in part, upon the severity of the case. Some Directors noted that the pivotal role that it had been necessary for the Fund to play in helping some member countries should be the exceptional practice, not the general practice. Nevertheless, the Fund should stand ready to provide technical and analytical expertise to help a member country to negotiate a financing agreement with its external creditors.

Most Directors attached importance to the principle that a member country should give comparable treatment to all its creditors, although there was not broad support for trying to define that principle in detail. There was a strong feeling that responsibility for the enforcement of the principle of comparable treatment was ultimately in the hands of creditors, and that the Fund should take into account the actions of the creditors when assessing the viability of, and progress under, a Fund-supported program. In that connection, Directors felt that the debt relief to help to close the financing gap of a member could best be dealt with through a Paris Club negotiation, which usually involved a large number of a country’s creditors. A Paris Club Agreed Minute could be seen as satisfying a member country’s need for debt relief and could be used for judging whether or not a country’s financing gap has been closed. A Paris Club Agreement also has implications for official creditors not participating in the Paris Club because of the commitment of the debtor to seek and to accord comparable treatment to those creditors. Some Directors stressed that it would be helpful to know about a Paris Club meeting well in advance of its occurrence, although it was also accepted that such notification was ultimately the responsibility of the debtor country in consultation with its creditors. At the same time, it was clearly desirable for as many of a country’s creditors as possible to participate in a Paris Club meeting.

Directors also generally agreed that, if an anticipated bilateral agreement required by the Paris Club, between a debtor and one of its official creditors, were not ratified within the specified period, the amount of arrears involved should be included in the calculation of arrears for purposes of the debtor country’s Fund-supported program. While there was general support for that approach, there was a call for flexibility and the exercise of judgment by the Fund when making such decisions during the course of a Fund-supported program. If a debtor country had made its best efforts to comply with a Paris Club requirement to conclude a bilateral agreement but had been unable to do so, the arrears involved should not be included in the calculation of arrears for purposes of the debtor country’s Fund-supported program. However, such judgments should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Decisions on whether or not a country’s financing gap had been closed, and on whether or not rescheduling and refinancing agreements were being fulfilled, should be made by the Fund itself. The Fund should take into account the particular circumstances of a member, such as the preconditions on the provision of debt relief by other agencies.

There was a strong consensus on three general matters relating to the use of the Fund’s good offices. First, in the light of the Fund’s primary responsibilities concerning the international monetary system and of its specific authority under the Articles to provide financial and technical services, management and staff should stand ready to use their good offices in helping members engaged in a particular dispute over an external financing obligation. Second, such good offices should, however, be limited in scope and frequency, although in that connection there were differences in emphasis among Directors. Some felt that the Fund should be more active, others that the Fund must be quite cautious. In short, the use of good offices should be consistent with avail able resources and should be substantially technical. Third, all Directors attached great importance to the Fund’s remaining neutral in issues of debt dispute. It should be clearly understood that the Fund’s good offices were meant to bring the parties to a dispute together. Fourth, there was agreement that the Fund should act in such cases only if both parties wished to have the Fund provide its good offices.

Establishment of the Post-SCA-2 Administered Account

1. Pursuant to Article V, Section 2(b), the Fund adopts the Instrument to Establish the Post-SCA-2 Administered Account that is annexed to this decision [see Attachment].

2. The provisions of the Instrument may be amended by a decision of the Fund with the concurrence of the members that have transferred resources remaining in the account at the time of such decision.

Decision No. 12061-(99/130)

December 8, 1999

Attachment Instrument to Establish the Post-SCA-2 Administered Account

To fulfill its purposes, the International Monetary Fund (the “Fund”) has adopted this Instrument to establish an account in accordance with Article V, Section 2(b), which shall be governed and administered by the Fund in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Instrument.

1. The Fund hereby establishes an account (“the Account”) for the temporary administration of resources transferred to the Account by a member following the termination of the SCA-2, while deciding on the final disposition of those resources.

2. The SDR shall be the unit of account. Transfers may be made in or exchanged for SDRs in accordance with such arrangements as may be made by the Managing Director for the holding and use of SDRs by the Account.

3. The resources of the Account shall be invested, and the proceeds of investments reinvested, at the discretion of the Managing Director. The Managing Director is authorized (i) to make all arrangements, including establishment of accounts in the name of the International Monetary Fund, with such depositories of the Fund as may be necessary to carry out the operations of the account, and (ii) to take all measures necessary to implement the provisions of this Instrument.

4. The Fund shall transfer all or part of the resources received from a member, together with the member’s pro rata share of the investment returns, to the PRGF-HIPC Trust, or otherwise in accordance with the member’s instructions.

5. The assets held in the Account shall be kept separate from the assets and property of all other accounts of, or administered by, the Fund. The assets in the Account shall not be used to discharge or meet any liabilities, obligations, or losses incurred by the Fund in the administration of such other accounts.

6. Subject to the provisions of this Instrument, the Fund, in administering the Account, shall apply mutatis mutandis the same rules and procedures as apply to operations of the General Resources Account of the Fund.

7. No charge shall be levied on the members for the services rendered by the Fund in the administration, operation, and termination of this Account.

8. The Fund shall maintain separate financial records and prepare separate financial statements for the Account.

9. The external audit firm selected under Section 20 of the Fund’s By-laws shall audit the operations and transactions of the Account. The audit shall relate to the financial year of the Fund.

10. The Fund shall report on the assets and property and on the operations and transactions of the Account in the Annual Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors and shall include in that Annual Report the report of the external audit firm and the External Audit Committee.

11. The Account shall be terminated upon completion of the transfers contemplated in paragraph 4.

12. Any questions between a member and the Fund arising hereunder shall be settled by mutual agreement.

Summing Up by the Acting Chairman Financial Sector Assessment Program—A Review—Lessons from the Pilot and Issues Going Forward Executive Board Meeting 00/123, December 13, 2000

Overview

Executive Directors welcomed the opportunity to review the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) in light of the further experience that has been gained with the FSAP pilot since the review in the spring of this year. Directors agreed that based on the completion of the missions to all 12 pilot countries, the work to date with the second round of country cases, and the feedback and support received from participating countries and cooperating institutions, it is timely to establish guidelines for a continuation of the FSAP program for the period ahead.

Directors agreed that the FSAP process provides a coherent and comprehensive framework to identify financial system vulnerabilities and strengthen the analysis of domestic macroeconomic and financial stability issues, to identify development needs and priorities, and to help authorities develop appropriate policy responses. They welcomed the broad range of information and analysis that the FSAP process brings to financial sector assessments, and noted in particular that this process provides the overall macroprudential and institutional context necessary for a thorough assessment of observance of international standards, codes, and good practices in the financial sector.

Directors observed that the Financial System Stability Assessments (FSSAs) derived from FSAP findings and Article IV consultations have appropriately focused on the stability issues of relevance to Fund surveillance. The comprehensive coverage of FSSAs, drawing on a broad range of information, helps to deepen the quality and scope of coverage of Article IV consultations. Accordingly, Directors agreed that the FSSAs are the preferred tool for strengthening the monitoring of financial systems under the Fund’s bilateral surveillance.

Directors underscored that an underlying objective of the FSAP is to encourage national authorities to implement measures to redress identified vulnerabilities and development needs. In that context, they believed that the Fund (as well as the Bank) should ensure that the strategic components of the assessment be reflected in other aspects of country programming, and that appropriate technical assistance and other support be provided to national authorities that request it.

Directors welcomed the steps taken in the Fund and the Bank to ensure consistency and quality in their joint FSAP work, as well as in the separate related work in the two institutions, including for the monitoring in the Fund of financial systems under Article IV surveillance. They encouraged the staff to press ahead with the work being undertaken in the context of the FSAP to develop analytical techniques, including macroprudential indicators, the use of stress tests and scenario analysis, and the assessment methodologies of financial sector standards in collaboration with standard-setting bodies.

Standards and Codes

Directors emphasized that assessments of observance of international standards, codes, and best practices have an important role to play in the FSAP. When considered with the other analysis undertaken in the FSAP, they help to identify vulnerabilities, gaps in regulatory structures and practices, and medium-term reform and development needs and priorities. They also help country authorities to evaluate their own systems against international benchmarks.

Directors noted that the summary standards assessments that flow from the detailed assessments are presented as an input into the overall stability assessment in the FSSA, and become financial sector modules of the Reports on Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSCs). While agreeing that the FSAP/FSSA process provides the proper context within which to assess standards, a number of Directors suggested that financial sector standards assessments carried out outside the FSAP also have a highly useful role to play, both to support implementation of standards by member countries, and as part of the preparatory work for a future FSAP assessment. Some Directors noted that, although central to the FSAP, the assessment of observance of standards and codes is resource-intensive and that the relevant standards to assess should be carefully selected in order to avoid stretching costs and procedures.

Bank-Fund Collaboration

Directors noted that the collaborative nature of the FSAP has ensured that the best expertise is mobilized to undertake the diagnostic work of joint Bank-Fund FSAP missions. At the same time, most Directors agreed that the division of responsibilities, once the joint work is completed, ensures that clear accountability for the Fund’s and the Bank’s separate work is maintained. While noting the interrelationship between financial system stability and financial sector development, Directors stressed that the Fund’s primary responsibility is in the area of systemic stability issues, while that of the Bank is in the development aspects.

Coverage and Frequency of FSAP

Directors had an extensive discussion of prioritization in the FSAP process. They considered that a variety of criteria could appropriately be employed to establish priorities in selecting country cases in the face of limited resources, including a country’s systemic importance; its external sector weakness or financial vulnerability; the nature of its exchange rate and monetary regime; and geographical balance among countries. All in all, Directors agreed that the country selection should be such as to help maximize the program’s contribution to the strengthening of national and international financial stability. Most Directors noted that within any one year, giving a higher priority in the FSAP country selection process, to systemically important countries would be warranted.¹ It was noted that prioritization in this sense means a difference in timing, not treatment. At the same time, Directors continued to stress the merit in maintaining a broad country coverage in the program. They felt that members should have the opportunity to participate in the FSAP to help them strengthen and develop their financial sectors, to prevent costly financial sector crises, and, where relevant, to prepare the ground for financial market liberalization and greater access to the international capital markets.

Directors considered how to maintain adequate monitoring of financial systems under Fund surveillance in years between full assessments, given the voluntary nature of the program and the limited frequency with which full assessments of an individual member can be undertaken. This is particularly important for countries identified as vulnerable, or systemically important, and whose financial systems are evolving at a rapid pace. Directors agreed that, for surveillance purposes, focused updates of FSSA findings could be undertaken by Fund staff in the context of subsequent Article IV consultations.

Directors agreed that the country’s choice of whether or not to participate in the FSAP does not alter the Fund’s responsibility to conduct financial sector monitoring. If a country volunteered to participate in the FSAP, but could not be accommodated by the program immediately, or if a country chose not to participate in the FSAP, Directors noted that the Article IV mission team for that country could be reinforced with financial sector expertise, and some assessment in key areas of concerns could be undertaken. Nevertheless, Directors believed that the full exercise remains the preferred vehicle for conducting financial sector assessments as input to Fund surveillance, and they agreed that, when relevant, the staff should be prepared to recommend—for instance, in discussions with authorities or in the staff appraisal in the Article IV staff report—that the country participate in the FSAP.

Directors noted that the scope of FSSAs, particularly for countries with significant offshore financial centers, should be extended beyond domestic stability considerations to encompass possible cross-border effects and consideration of international repercussions, while maintaining its country-specific focus.

Offshore Financial Centers (OFCs)

Directors also noted that FSAP assessments covered both the cross-border activities of financial institutions, and the activities of financial institutions operating in an off-shore center within the country. The FSAP assessment of such countries would generally be expected to result in “module three” assessments—which comprise financial risks, relevant financial sector standards and codes, and cross-border effects of the relevant OFC. Separate “module three” assessments could, however, still take place for OFCs that are not members of the Fund and the Bank, as well as, in some cases, for OFCs within a member country. In the latter case, these OFC assessments could provide input into a subsequent full FSAP assessment for the country.

Resource Implications

Directors considered the potential budgetary implications of the staff proposals on the FSAP for fiscal year 2002 and beyond. They noted that the pace of the FSAP will depend on a number of factors, including how the suggested prioritization of FSAP country cases is translated into practice. Directors broadly agreed that the Fund should keep the effective implementation of priorities in view in aiming for the suggested pace of up to 30 assessments per year. Both the pace of the FSAP and its new resource implications will be subjected to further assessments by the Fund and the Bank in the context of their respective upcoming budget discussions.

Publication and Circulation

On publication and circulation issues, Directors noted that, under the existing arrangements, FSAP reports are prepared as confidential documents for national authorities, since some information needed to carry out the diagnostic aspects of an FSAP mission’s work, especially that related to individual financial institutions, is highly sensitive. Directors agreed that the current policy of the management of the Fund and Bank not to provide authorization for the publication of the main volume of FSAP reports and the associated confidential documents should be continued. They also endorsed the management’s intended policy to provide authorization for the publication by the authorities of the detailed assessments of observance of standards and codes that are included in FSAP reports.

When discussing publication and circulation policies for FSSAs, most Directors agreed that the policy of voluntary publication was appropriate. They noted that several national authorities have requested that the Fund allow publication of FSSAs. Some Directors felt, however, that the current policy, whereby publication of FSSAs is not permitted, should be continued.

On balance, most Directors agreed to authorize Fund publication of FSSAs after the associated Article IV consultation has been concluded. Such publication will be subject to: (i) the consent of the respective member concerned; (ii) the same deletions policy regarding highly market-sensitive information that applies to Article IV staff reports; and (iii) the same rules on internal circulation and release to outside agencies that apply to Article IV staff reports. It was agreed that publication of an FSSA could proceed even if the member concerned did not consent to the publication of the relevant Article IV consultation report. While some Directors supported publication of the initial assessments for the 12 pilot countries, it was also agreed that the new publication policy for FSSAs should not apply to these cases. For a participant in the FSAP pilot project in the process of accession to the European Union, it was agreed that the member’s FSSA could be circulated to the European Commission.

Confidentiality

The importance of adequate procedures to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information provided to FSAP missions, especially on individual financial institutions, has been stressed in previous Board discussions. Directors noted that the confidentiality procedures that must be followed by staff, as well as experts from cooperating institutions, as laid out in the confidentiality protocol are working well.

Next Review

Directors agreed that the further review of the experience under the FSAP should take place in 18 months’ time.