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    Does IMF Fiscal Policy Advice End Up Hurting the Poor?

    ECONOMIC FORUMS AND INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS

    Tuesday, April 29, 2003, 2:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
    IMF Auditorium (Enter via the IMF Center)
    720 19th St. N.W., Washington, DC 

    Transcript of the proceedings

    Economic Forums are free of charge and open to the public; no registration is needed. For further information, please contact Public Affairs Division at: PublicAffairs@imf.org.

    Many critics argue that the IMF's advice on fiscal policy reduces growth and increases poverty in developing countries. In the effort to address unmanageable budget deficits, critics claim the IMF advises countries to make substantial cuts in public spending. Critics say that far from cushioning the impact of crises on the poor, these cuts worsen the slowdown and make it more difficult for the poor to find jobs. But what exactly is the nature of IMF fiscal policy advice? Is there a one-size-fits-all fiscal policy in IMF programs? The following panelists will address these and related criticisms of IMF fiscal policy advice:

    Richard Hemming [Moderator]
    Assistant Director
    Fiscal Affairs Department
    IMF

    William Cline
    Senior Fellow
    Institute for International Economics

    Sanjeev Gupta
    Assistant Director
    Fiscal Affairs Department
    IMF

    Carol Graham
    Vice President, Government Studies
    Brookings Institution



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