This document updates the information provided in the September 2005 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative – Status of Implementation report. It deals exclusively with the enhanced HIPC Initiative, and does not consider the implications of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).

Abstract

This document updates the information provided in the September 2005 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative – Status of Implementation report. It deals exclusively with the enhanced HIPC Initiative, and does not consider the implications of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).

I. Guide to the Tables

This document updates the information provided in the September 2005 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative - Status of Implementation report.1, 2 It deals exclusively with the enhanced HIPC Initiative, and does not consider the implications of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).3 Below are some highlights drawn from the accompanying tables.

A. Progress in Implementation (Table 1)

Table 1

HIPC Initiative: Committed Debt Relief and Outlook 1/ Status as of mid-March 2006

(In millions of US dollars, in NPV terms in the year of the decision point)

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Sources: HIPC country documents; and World Bank and IMF staff estimates.
1/

Committed debt relief under the assumption of full participation of creditors.

2/

The total amounts shown are only indicative, as they represent the sum of individual commitments expressed in different NPV terms, corresponding to the time of the decision point of each HIPC.

3/

The assistance under the enhanced HIPC Initiative includes topping up with the NPV calculated in the year of the completion point.

1. The Republic of Congo has reached the decision point in March 2006, increasing the number of countries that have reached their decision points to 29 as of mid-March 2006. A total of US$34.8 billion in debt relief (in decision point NPV terms) has been committed to these countries. The 18 countries that have reached their completion points account for 64 percent of HIPC Initiative assistance to be delivered irrevocably by all creditors.

2. While some countries are making progress toward reaching the completion point, maintaining macroeconomic stability remains a challenge for others that are currently in the interim period between their decision and completion points.4

  • Cameroon, Malawi, and São Tomé and Príncipe have been satisfactorily implementing their macroeconomic policy programs and could reach their completion points by mid-2006.

  • For Sierra Leone, a new arrangement supported by the IMF under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) is expected to be approved in March 2006, which could help this country reach its completion point before the end of 2006.

  • Burundi, the Republic of Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been making progress under their macroeconomic programs; however, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing fiscal pressures and slow progress in the area of structural reforms.

  • Chad, the Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau have been experiencing difficulties in the implementation of their macroeconomic programs. Chad, the Gambia, and Guinea are taking steps to address problems in fiscal management and structural reforms in order to resume their PRGF-supported programs. Guinea-Bissau has been making efforts to restore growth, rehabilitate its public finances, and improve governance so as to pave the way for a possible IMF-supported program.

3. Most countries in the interim period have made progress on the development and implementation of their poverty reduction strategies, a requirement for reaching the completion point. Since September 2005, the two Boards have discussed the second progress report on PRSP implementation for Cameroon. The first progress report for São Tomé and Príncipe was submitted to the Boards in February 2006. The second progress reports for Gambia, Guinea, and Chad, and the third progress report for Malawi are expected to be presented to the Boards in 2006. Sierra Leone has started implementing its PRSP in the fall of 2005. Four countries (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Congo, and Guinea-Bissau) have yet to complete their PRSPs, but all are expected to do so in the course of 2006.

B. Summary of Costs (Tables 2, 3)5

Table 2

HIPC Initiative: Changes in the Estimates of Potential Costs by Creditor Group 1/

(In billions of U.S. dollars)

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Sources: HIPC Initiative country documents; and staff estimates.
1/

All 29 decision point HIPCs.

2/

Reflects decision point for Republic of Congo.

3/

The discount rate used is the 3-year average SDR CIRR for 2003-2005, which was 4.4 percent.

4/

The discount rate used is the 3-year average SDR CIRR for 2002-2004, which was 4.6 percent .

Table 3

HIPC Initiative: Breakdown of Estimated Potential Costs by Main Creditors and by Country Groups

(In billions of U.S. dollars, in 2005 NPV terms)

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Sources: Country authorities; and Fund staff estimates.
1/

These countries have reached their decision points under the original HIPC Initiative: Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Guyana, Mali, Mozambique, and Uganda.

2/

Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Niger, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia.

4. The total cost of HIPC Initiative assistance for the 29 countries that have reached their decision points is estimated at US$39.8 billion in 2004 NPV terms - an increase of US$1.6 billion from US$38.2 billion reported in the September 2005 Status of Implementation Report (Table 2). The higher estimate is due to the inclusion of the cost estimate for the Republic of Congo, which reached its decision point recently. Converting the total cost to 2005 NPV terms, the estimate amounts to US$41.3 billion, equally divided between multilateral and bilateral creditors.

C. Creditor Participation: Multilateral Creditors (Tables 4, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B and 7)

Table 4

HIPC Initiative: Estimates of Costs to Multilateral Creditors and Status of Their Commitments

(In millions of U.S. dollars, in 2005 NPV terms)

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Sources: HIPC documents; HIPC authorities; and World Bank staff estimates.
1/

Some of these creditors are providing relief on a case-by-case basis and have yet to agree to full participation in the enhanced HIPC Initiative. Moreover, for a few of these creditors, there have been significant delays in developing the modalities for the actual delivery of debt relief.

Table 5A

HIPC Initiative: Status of Delivery of Assistance by the World Bank

(In millions of U.S. dollars as of February 1, 2006)

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Sources: HIPC country documents; and World Bank staff estimates.
1/

Assistance is considered as provided: i) at the effective date of the purchase of IDA credits, provision of IDA grants or prepayment of IBRD loans; and ii) at the due date in the case of debt service reduction.

2/

Figures are from the respective completion point documents, they include the reduction in interest payments associated with the cancellation of loans and the provision of grants instead loans. Assistance provided through the reduction of the debt service to IDA, unless otherwise indicated.

3/

Assistance provided through the purchase by the HIPC Trust Fund of selected IDA credits.

4/

Assistance provided through the purchase by the HIPC Trust Fund of selected IDA credits and the reduction of the debt service to IDA.

5/

Assistance provided through the provision of IDA grants; the purchase by the HIPC Trust Fund of selected IDA credits and the reduction of the debt service to IDA.

6/

Unless otherwise indicated, assistance to be provided through the reduction of the debt service to IDA.

7/

Includes topping-up assistance.

8/

Since it reached the decision point in March 2006, the Republic of Congo had received no relief as of February 1, 2006.

9/

Corresponds to the assistance provided through the reduction of debt service payments to IDA on the disbursed and outstanding debt as of end-2002, which would provide a relief of US$597 million in NPV terms. The remaining US$223 million in NPV terms needed to cover the World Bank share of assistance was provided through the clearance of arrears.

Table 5B

HIPC Initiative: Estimated Delivery of World Bank Assistance, 2000-10

(In millions of U.S. dollars)

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Sources: HIPC country documents; and World Bank staff estimates.
1/

From 2000 to 2005, information corresponds to debt service actually paid to the World Bank. Debt service after 2005 are based on stocks as of end-June 2005.

2/

Debt service before the purchase of IDA credits.

3/

These numbers differ from those in the 2nd completion point document, as the document did not reflect new borrowing that took place between the original decision point and the enhanced decision point.

4/

From 2000 to 2005, figures correspond to actual debt relief received.

5/

Figures from the Completion Point Document under the original HIPC.

6/

Corresponds to the assistance provided through the reduction of debt service payments to IDA on the disbursed and outstanding debt as of end-2002, including the assistance delivered through concessional financing of the bridge loan to clear arrears.

7/

These numbers differ from those in the 2nd completion point document, as a new schedule of delivery was approved at end-

8/

Weighted by each country’s share in total debt service before HIPC.

Table 6A

HIPC Initiative: Status of Commitments by the IMF

(In millions of SDRs; as of March 8, 2006)

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1/

Includes interest on amounts committed under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative.

2/

Equivalent to the committed amount of US $22.5 million at decision point exchange rates (3/17/98).

3/

Amount committed is equivalent to the remaining balance of the total IMF HIPC assistance of SDR 337.9 million, after deducting SDR 109.6 million representing the concessional element associated with the disbursement of a PRGF loan following the Democratic Republic of Congo’s clearance of arrears to the IMF on June 12, 2002. arrears to the IMF on June 12, 2002.

4/

At the time of its decision point, São Tomé and Príncipe did not have any eligible debt to the IMF.

Table 6B

HIPC Initiative: Estimated Delivery of IMF Assistance, 1999-2011 1/

(In millions of U.S. dollars; as of March 8, 2006)

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Sources: Staff estimates and HIPC country documents.
1/

Under Original and Enhanced HIPC Initiative.

2/

No projections for countries which benefited from the first phase of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. For other HIPC members, projections are based on credit outstanding as of end-December 2005.

3/

The figures for 1998-2002 shown in the table represent actual payments made by the DRC to the IMF, including the settlement of its arrears on June 12, 2002.

4/

For 2007-09, projected IMF assistance is less than SDR 50,000.

5/

Fiscal year data.

6/

Using SDR/U.S. dollar exchange rate at the completion point (for original HIPC assistance) or at the decision point (for enhanced HIPC assistance). Includes projected investment income.

7/

Weighted average.