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Europe > Ukraine

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Cover Policy Papers
Review Of Charges And The Surcharge Policy—Reform Proposals
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
and
International Monetary Fund. Strategy, Policy, & Review Department
On October 11, 2024, the IMF’s Executive Board concluded the Review of Charges and the Surcharge Policy. The review is part of a broader ongoing effort to ensure that the IMF’s lending policies remain fit for purpose to meet the evolving needs of the membership. Charges and surcharges are important elements of the IMF’s cooperative lending and risk-management framework, where all members contribute and all can benefit from support when needed. Together, they cover lending intermediation expenses, help accumulate reserves to protect against financial risks, and provide incentives for prudent and temporary borrowing. This provides a strong financial foundation that allows the IMF to extend vital balance of payments support on affordable terms to member countries when they need it most.



Against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment and high global interest rates, the Executive Board reached consensus on a comprehensive package of reforms that substantially reduces the cost of borrowing for members while safeguarding the IMF's financial capacity to support countries in need. The approved measures will lower IMF borrowing costs by about US$1.2 billion annually or reduce payments on the margin of the rate of charge as well as surcharges on average by 36 percent. The number of countries subject to surcharges in fiscal year 2026 is expected to fall from 20 to 13.



Key reforms include a reduction in the margin for the rate of charge, an increase in the threshold for level-based surcharges, a reduction in rate for time-based surcharges, an alignment of thresholds for commitment fees with annual and cumulative access limits for GRA lending facilities, and institution of regular reviews of surcharges.



The series of three papers informed the Executive Board’s first and second informal engagements (July and September 2024) and the formal meeting (October 2024) on this review.
Keywords:
General Resources Account; Charges; Margin for the basic rate of charge; Surcharges; Commitment Fees; Precautionary Balances; Income; transparency Policy; IMF's lending policy; surcharge structure; surcharge payment; surcharge rate; surcharge payer; SDR interest rate; Credit; Income distribution; Financial statements; Global
Cover International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2024 Financial Statements
International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2024 Financial Statements
International Monetary Fund. Secretary's Department

Abstract

The audited financial statements that follow form Appendix VI of the International Monetary Fund’s Annual Report 2024 and can be found, together with Appendixes I through V and other materials, on the Annual Report 2024 web page (www.imf.org/AR2024). They have been reproduced separately here as a convenience for readers. Quarterly updates of the IMF’s Finances are available at www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/quart/index.htm.

Keywords:
inflation; resilience; debt vulnerabilities; inequality food insecurity; quota; PRGT; geopolitical fragmentation; conflict; climate change; digitalization; cyber risks; artificial intelligence; capacity development; lending; economic surveillance; Deputy managing director; IMF organization chart; boards of governors of the bank; Joint Ministerial Committee of the boards of governors; and international cooperation; fair value; valuation basket; IMF activity; IMF's General Resources Account; basket currency; reserve account; unit of account; Financial statements; Credit risk; Loans; Income; Currencies; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Europe; Asia and Pacific; Western Hemisphere
Cover IMF Working Papers
How do Economic Growth and Food Inflation Affect Food Insecurity?
Christian Bogmans
,
Andrea Pescatori
, and
Ervin Prifti
During the global recession of 2020 food insecurity increased substantially in many countries around the world. Fortunately, the surge in food insecurity quickly came to a halt as the world economy returned to its positive growth path, despite double-digit domestic food inflation in most countries. To shed light on the relative importance of income growth and food inflation in driving food insecurity, we employ a heterogeneous-agent model with income inequality, complemented by novel cross-country data for the period 2001-2021. We use external instruments (changes in commodity terms-of-trade, external economic growth, and harvest shocks) to isolate exogenous variation in domestic income growth and ood inflation. Our findings suggest that income growth is the dominant driver of annual variations in food insecurity, while food price inflation plays a somewhat smaller role, aligning with our model predictions.
Keywords:
Food insecurity; inclusive growth; food inflation; inequality; diet.; food inflation affect food insecurity; food price inflation; affect food insecurity; income growth; Food security; Income; Food prices; Inflation; Price elasticity; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Sovereign Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing: Chasing Elusive Sustainability
Ekaterina Gratcheva
and
Bryan Gurhy
This paper evaluates the progression of the sovereign ESG landscape since the initial comprehensive assessment of the sector in 2021 in “Demystifying Sovereign ESG” by conducting a comparative analysis of the current sovereign ESG methodologies of commercial ESG providers. The 2021 study articulated the distinct nature of the sovereign ESG segment from corporate ESG and documented fundamental shortcomings in sovereign ESG methodologies, such as the “ingrained income bias”, lack of consensus on environmental performance, and conflation of risk and sustainability objectives. While sovereign ESG methodologies have evolved since 2021, the significant correlation across providers of aggregate, S, and G scores persist. In response to market demand there has been a notable shift towards greater focus on the E pillar against growing heterogeneity on climate and environmental considerations across ESG providers. The findings underscore the disparity between perceptions and realities in implementing a sustainability strategy within the sovereign debt asset class. This necessitates a reevaluation of sovereign ESG scoring methodologies towards outcome-based metrics and urges a globally coordinated effort to establish robust sustainability measurement frameworks.
Keywords:
ESG; sovereign debt; sovereign ESG scores; sustainability; environmental and climate sustainability; climate financial architecture; ESG provider; ESG methodology; sovereign Environmental, Social, and Governance; ESG landscape; ESG score; Corporate social responsibility; Environmental sustainability; Income; Climate finance; Global; Middle East
Cover Policy Papers
Review of the Adequacy of the Fund’s Precautionary Balances
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
On March 20, 2024, the IMF’s Executive Board reviewed the adequacy of the Fund’s precautionary balances. The review took place somewhat ahead of the standard two-year cycle, in view of the imminent attainment of the current indicative medium-term indicative target of SDR 25 billion for the first time. Precautionary balances comprise the Fund’s general and special reserves. They are a key element of the IMF’s multi-layered framework for managing financial risks. Precautionary balances provide a buffer to protect the Fund against potential losses, resulting from credit, income, and other financial risks. The review was based on the assessment framework established in 2010, which uses an indicative range for precautionary balances, linked to a forward-looking measure of total IMF non-concessional credit, to guide decisions on adjusting the medium-term target over time. While financial risks remain high, they are broadly unchanged from the last review, taking into account the further accumulation of reserves and strengthening of some risk mitigants. Against this background, Executive Directors broadly supported staff’s proposal to retain the current medium-term target of SDR 25 billion and increase the minimum floor from SDR 15 billion to SDR 20 billion. The Board also supported maintaining the biennial review cycle, with earlier reviews if warranted by developments that could materially affect the adequacy of precautionary balances.
Keywords:
Non-concessionary; Lending; Risks; Reserves; Credit; Mitigation; Provisioning; management framework; income risk; concentration risk; Fund credit; I. financial risks; demand scenario; lending portfolio; Credit risk; Income; Capital adequacy requirements; Market risk; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Who Pays the Bill? Distributional and Fiscal Consequences of Elevated Inflation in Thailand
Piyaporn Chote
,
Corinne C Delechat
,
Thanaphol Kongphalee
,
Vatsal Nahata
,
Mouhamadou Sy
,
Pym Manopimoke
, and
Tamon Yungvichit
This paper analyzes the distributional impacts of inflation in Thailand. For that aim, the paper uses rich micro-survey data on 46,000 Thai households to study the effect of the recent elevated inflation on poverty, its distributional effects on different income levels, and the fiscal cost to compensate households from real income losses. To study the multidimensional impact of inflation, the paper also studies how inflation differentially affects households through the consumption, income, and wealth channel. The analysis shows that under a baseline scenario, poverty in Thailand could increase by 1.3 percentage points—about 900,000 people—in the absence of government intervention. Targeted fiscal support to only compensate households that are below the national poverty line from rising inflation amount to 0.05 percent of GDP. However, fiscal support to compensate relatively rich households, defined as those above the median of the income distribution, amount to 1.4 percent of GDP. Moreover, due to high levels of debt, richer households benefit from inflation relative to poorer households. Finally, the paper also delves into policy responses undertaken by the Thai government and Asian and emerging economies to mitigate elevated inflation.
Keywords:
Inflation; poverty; inflation dynamics; income effect; fiscal cost.; elevated inflation; inflation component; rising prices; energy price; Income; Energy prices; Consumption; Food prices; Global; Asia and Pacific
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Greece: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Greece
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
The 2023 Article IV Consultation highlights that Greece’s economic outlook has improved notably. Growth-friendly fiscal consolidation can further strengthen public debt sustainability while supporting inclusive and green growth. Further tightening in the near term and maintaining a primary surplus in the medium term would help further strengthen public debt sustainability while limiting additional pressure on inflation. The resilience of the financial system should be further strengthened in an environment of higher-for-longer interest rates. The monitoring and management of risks associated with interest rates, liquidity and funding, and credit exposures should be further strengthened. Comprehensive reforms to address structural supply impediments would lift medium-term growth prospects amid a negative demographic outlook. Continued reforms in digitalizing public administration and tackling barriers to more competition would unlock higher private investment and improve productivity. Expeditious implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan would help raise productivity by supporting the green and digital transition, and reskilling and upskilling the labor force. Rationalizing regulations would improve business dynamism and resource allocation. Continued reforms in digitalizing public administration and tackling barriers to more competition would unlock higher private investment and improve productivity.
Keywords:
IMF quota; transparency policy; potential GDP; headline inflation; core inflation; climate change adaptation; SDR million; government payment process; household resilience; higher-for-longer interest rates; currency of Greece; money market rate; liability positions vis-à-vis nonresident; bank profit; goods trade balance statistics; Inflation; Loans; Income; Global
Cover International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2023 Financial Statements
International Monetary Fund Annual Report 2023 Financial Statements
International Monetary Fund. Secretary's Department

Abstract

The audited financial statements that follow form Appendix VI of the International Monetary Fund’s Annual Report 2023 and can be found, together with Appendixes I through V and other materials, on the Annual Report 2023 web page (www.imf.org/AR2023). They have been reproduced separately here as a convenience for readers. Quarterly updates of the IMF’s Finances are available at www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/quart/index.htm.

Keywords:
inflation; debt vulnerabilities; inequality; food insecurity; geoeconomic fragmentation; climate change; digitalization; capacity development; lending; economic surveillance; Deputy managing director; IMF organization chart; boards of governors of the bank; Joint Ministerial Committee of the boards of governors; fair value; fixed income; unit of account; SDR currency; loan account; Financial statements; Credit risk; Income; Loans; Credit; Global; Europe
Cover Policy Papers
Review of the Fund’s Income Position for FY2023 and FY2024
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
This paper updates the projections of the Fund’s income position for FY 2023 and FY 2024 and proposes related decisions for the current and next financial year. The paper also includes a proposed decision to keep the margin for the rate of charge unchanged for financial year 2024. The Fund’s overall net income for FY 2023 is projected at about SDR 1.8 billion, slightly lower than the April 2022 estimate.
Keywords:
Income Position; Lending Income; Investment Income; Expenditures; Margin for the Rate of Charge; Reserve Accumulation; Precautionary Balances; Pension; Provisioning; Payout; Reimbursement; GRA FY; end FY; transparency policy; retirement plan obligation; income outlook; Income; SDR interest rate; Reserves accumulation; Discount rates; Credit risk; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Côte d'Ivoire: Requests for an Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility and a 40-Month Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Côte d'Ivoire
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Consecutive global shocks have led to a widening of macroeconomic imbalances, put a serious strain on public finances as well as regional reserves, and further exposed longstanding constraints to economic transformation. Notwithstanding record growth in the past decade and significant poverty reduction, large social priority and investment spending needs remain, while comparatively weak domestic revenue mobilization poses significant financing constraints. Against this backdrop, the authorities have requested Fund support of 400 percent of quota (SDR 2,601.6 million) for an economic program aimed at meeting pressing financing needs, preserving macroeconomic stability, and anchoring the National Development Plan (NDP) in key structural reforms to support Côte d’Ivoire’s transformation towards upper-middle income status.
Keywords:
financing support; revenue mobilization strategy; debt ratio; Côte d'Ivoire vision; Ivoirian authorities; Debt sustainability; Government debt management; Global; West Africa