Policy Papers

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2012

April 12, 2012

Review of the Fund's Income Position for FY 2012 and FY 2013-14

Description: This paper reviews the Fund’s income position for FY 2012 and FY 2013‒14.1 The paper updates projections provided at the FY 2012 midyear review and proposes decisions for the current and next two financial years. These decisions include setting the margin for the rate of charge under the new Rule I-6(4) that the Executive Board adopted in December 2011.2 The new rule is based on principles endorsed by the Executive Board in April 2008 and that have guided decisions on setting the margin since FY 2009.

Section II reviews the FY 2012 income position and main changes from the midyear projections; Section III makes proposals on the disposition of net income, and placement to reserves; Section IV discusses the margin on the rate of charge for FY 2013‒14, the income outlook for that period, and projected burden sharing adjustments; and Section V reviews special charges.

April 10, 2012

The IMF’s Financial Surveillance Work Agenda

Description: The Fund has the responsibility to ensure the effective operation of the international monetary system, thereby promoting economic and financial stability and growth. The recent crisis was a reminder that these goals are best served by Fund surveillance that seeks to ensure that members’ financial systems are properly regulated and supervised, and maintain the right balance between dynamism and stability.

The recent Triennial Surveillance Review (TSR) called for a report on the key elements of the Fund’s strategy in this area. This call was particularly timely in view of the profound changes in the international financial landscape and policy agenda since the crisis, notably the significant multilateral commitments to financial reform and the emergence of important new global actors, such as the G-20 and the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

This paper represents a stocktaking and statement of the Fund’s current financial surveillance work agenda and priorities, in order to solicit input from the IMFC and other stakeholders in preparing such a strategy. It is intended, moreover, to provide a basis for the Fund to cooperate with and contribute to the work of other global actors, building on the Fund’s broader mandate and membership and leveraging its comparative advantages.

March 29, 2012

FY2013-FY2015 Medium-Term Budget

Description: The FY 13–15 Medium-Term Budget presented in this paper reflects the following main features:

Unchanged administrative budget in real terms for FY 13. Overall spending (structural plus crisis/temporary) will be kept unchanged in real terms in FY 13 relative to the FY 12 budget (excluding the one-off additional cost of the 2012 Annual Meetings in Tokyo).

Broadly unchanged administrative envelope in nominal terms for FY 13. This reflects the impact of the Executive Board’s decision in March to grant no increase in the staff salary structure in the context of the 2012 Compensation Review. The “structure increase” is the main component in the budget deflator applied to map the real total envelope into nominal terms.

A capital budget dominated by the impact of the HQ1 Renewal Program. The final appropriation for this project, approved by the Executive Board in March 2011, is reflected in the proposed capital budget for FY 13.

March 21, 2012

Handbook of IMF Facilities for Low-Income Countries

Description: The Fund’s concessional facilities are aimed at providing flexible and tailored support to low-income countries (LICs) in their efforts to achieve, maintain, or restore a stable and sustainable macroeconomic position consistent with strong and durable poverty reduction and growth.

March 20, 2012

Framework Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities - International Forum Sovereign Wealth Funds Subaccount

Description: In March 2009, the Fund established a new Framework Administered Account to administer external financial resources for selected Fund activities (the “SFA Instrument”). The financing of activities under the terms of the SFA Instrument is implemented through the establishment and operation of a subaccount within the SFA. This paper requests Executive Board approval to establish the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds Subaccount (the "Subaccount") under the terms of the SFA Instrument.

March 16, 2012

Enhancing Surveillance - Interconnectedness and Clusters - Background Paper

Description: This paper provides additional detail for the framework discussed in “Enhancing Surveillance – Interconnectedness and Clusters” through theoretical and empirical analysis of linkages, including case studies of Saudi Arabia, the Asian supply chain, financial interconnectedness and cross-border policy dependence in banking, and the Sweden-Baltic connections. It also provides a detailed primer on network analysis.

March 15, 2012

Enhancing Surveillance - Interconnectedness and Clusters

Description: This paper and the companion background paper present a simple conceptual framework to better understand cross-border trade and financial interconnectedness. Countries are grouped together into “clusters” on the basis of having relatively tight trade and financial connections (e.g., Asian supply chain). Clusters are connected to one another through “gatekeepers” (e.g., Austria is a gatekeeper to the Central and Eastern Europe, and Sweden to the Baltics), and countries that are central to the whole network are in the “core” (the systemic-5). By mapping this architecture of cross-border trade and financial interconnectedness, the papers provide—at a glance—an easy way to comprehend the direct and indirect linkages of countries. The papers suggest that gatekeepers in particular can play a role in dampening or amplifying and propagating shocks, and this role depends on the economic context and policy space.

March 14, 2012

Liberalizing Capital Flows and Managing Outflows - Background Paper

Description: Liberalization of capital flows can benefit both source and recipient countries by improving resource allocation, reducing financing costs, increasing competition and accelerating the development of domestic financial systems. The empirical evidence, however, is mixed on the benefits, and it suggests that countries benefit most when they meet certain thresholds related to institutional and financial development. The principal cost of capital flow liberalization stems from the economic instability brought on by volatile capital flows. In extreme cases, sudden stops or reversals in capital inflows can trigger financial crises followed by prolonged periods of weak growth.

March 13, 2012

Framework Administered Account for Selected Fund Activities -Government of Canada Subaccount

Description: In March 2009, the Fund established a new Framework Administered Account to administer external financial resources for Selected Fund Activities (the “SFA Instrument”). The financing of activities under the terms of the SFA Instrument is implemented through the establishment and operation of subaccounts. This paper requests Executive Board approval to establish the Government of Canada Subaccount for Selected Fund Activities (the "Subaccount") under the terms of the SFA Instrument.

March 13, 2012

Liberalizing Capital Flows and Managing Outflows

Description: This is the fourth in a series of Board papers developing a comprehensive Fund view on capital flows and the policies that affect them. A first paper in December 2010 dealt with the Fund’s overall role in this area, both historically and prospectively. The second paper in March 2011 developed a framework for policy advice on managing capital inflows broadly endorsed by the Board, which constitutes a first round articulation of the Fund’s institutional views on managing capital inflows. The third paper in November 2011 examined the multilateral aspects of policies affecting capital flows, and focused mainly on source country policies. This paper covers liberalizing capital flows and the management of outflows.

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