Key Trends in Implementation of the Fund's Transparency Policy -- 2007

The set of tables provided in this report updates the last Key Trends with information on documents published through December 2006. Rolling updates will continue to be issued annually to the Board.

Abstract

The set of tables provided in this report updates the last Key Trends with information on documents published through December 2006. Rolling updates will continue to be issued annually to the Board.

Introduction

1. At the time of the 2005 review of the Fund’s transparency policy, it was agreed that information on key trends in implementation of the transparency policy would be circulated to the Executive Board regularly, along with lists indicating the publication status of reports discussed by the Board.1 The first such report was issued in January 2006.2 As foreshadowed in that paper, consistent with ongoing efforts to streamline procedures, this and subsequent reports on Key Trends in Implementation of the Fund’s Transparency Policy are being made available to the Board only electronically.

2. The set of tables provided in this report updates the last Key Trends with information on documents published through December 2006.3 Rolling updates will continue to be issued annually to the Board.

I. Trends in Publication Rates

Table 1.

Trends in Publication Rates 1/2/

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Publication rates refer to documents considered by the Board in a period running from November 1 to October 31, and published by the end of the calendar year; e.g., the publication rate for 2006 refers to documents considered by the Board during November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006, and published by December 31, 2006.

Data include documents issued for the information of the Board and documents sent to the Board for consideration on lapse-of-time basis.

Includes initial ROSC assessments and reassessments produced by the IMF, as well as the World Bank and, in the case of AML/CFT ROSCs, by FATF and FATF-style regional bodies (FSRB), issued on a stand-alone basis or in FSSAs. Does not include assessments done under the Offshore Financial Center (OFC) program or detailed standards assessments.

Does not include authorities’ statements that are included in ROSCs. Includes Executive Directors’ Statements and “right of reply” documents.

Includes LOIs/MEFPs and TMUs issued in the context of SMPs. For a PSI, the relevant document is called a Policy Statement.

Only includes policy papers for which publication is presumed under the Transparency Policy.

Table 2.

Trends in Publication Rates of Article IV and UFR Staff Reports 1/

(by economic and regional characteristics)

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Publication rates refer to documents considered by the Board in a period running from November 1 to October 31, and published by the end of the calendar year; e.g., the publication rate for 2006 refers to documents considered by the Board during November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006, and published by December 31, 2006.

WEO definitions.

II. Lags Between Board Consideration and Publication

Table 3.

Trends in Publication Lags 1/2/

(by type of reports, and by economic and regional characteristics)

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Publication rates refer to documents considered by the Board in a period running from November 1 to October 31, and published by the end of the calendar year; e.g., the publication rate for 2006 refers to documents considered by the Board during November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006, and published by December 31, 2006.

Country-specific documents are published as soon as the final consent from the member country is received by the Fund, with technical delays typically not exceeding a couple of business days. Policy papers are published after authorization by the Board.

WEO definitions.

Number of calendar days.

Includes LOIs/MEFPs/TMUs issued in the context of SMPs. For a PSI, the relevant document is called a Policy Statement.

Only includes policy papers for which publication is presumed.

III. Trends in Recourse to Deletions

Table 4.

Deletions in Article IV and UFR Staff Reports 1/2/

(by economic and regional characteristics)

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Refers to documents considered by the Board in a period running from November 1 to October 31, and published by the end of the calendar year; e.g., the number of documents published with deletions for 2006 refers to documents considered by the Board during November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006, and published by December 31, 2006.

Because a single report can have deletions falling into multiple categories, e.g., exchange rate, financial sector and/or other areas, there is no fixed relationship between the second column and the third and fourth columns under each year.

WEO definitions.

IV. Publication Behavior of Members

Table 5.

Members That Have Published All Article IV/UFR Staff Reports 1/2/

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Data refer to documents considered by the Board between November 1, 2004 and October 31, 2006, and published by December 31, 2006. Does not reflect consent to publication received since then. Includes only countries where at least one Article IV or UFR Report was discussed during the relevant period. Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, San Marino, Somalia and Venezuela did not have any Article IV or UFR Staff Report discussed.

Number in parenthesis at top of the table gives total for 2004 - 2005

1

See The Acting Chairman’s Summing Up on the Review of the Fund’s Transparency Policy (BUFF/05/116; 7/28/05) and The Fund’s Transparency Policy—Proposed Amendments (SM/05/292; 7/28/05).

2

Key Trends in Implementation of the Fund’s Transparency Policy (SM/06/36; 1/31/06).

3

Since December 31, 2006 and as of January 29, 2007, the following country reports discussed between November 1, 2005 and October 31, 2006 have been published: Chad and Trinidad and Tobago. These publications are not reflected in the tables.

Key Trends in Implementation of the Fund's Transparency Policy -- 2007
Author: International Monetary Fund