Policy Papers

June 4, 2009

Review of the Experience with the Policy Support Instrument

Description: This review is focused mainly on the implementation of the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) against the goals and expectations set out by the Executive Board. Some possible modifications to the PSI that have been considered by various stakeholders are also touched upon in the concluding section. This review was conducted in parallel with ongoing work on a new architecture of lending facilities for low-income countries (LIC). Based on the results of this review, the reform of LIC facilities is not expected to alter the case for the PSI as a complement to financing instruments.

June 3, 2009

Statement by the Managing Director on the Work Program of the Executive Board - Executive Board Meeting - June 3, 2009

Description: Against the backdrop of a global economic crisis, the IMFC has underscored the Fund’s central role in responding to its membership’s needs and restoring prosperity and financial stability. The Fund has acted with alacrity—by overhauling its lending framework; mobilizing strong support and firm pledges toward a tripling of its resources; and continuing to strengthen the quality of its surveillance. The work program is heavy, reflecting the responsibilities assigned to the Fund by the international community and the needs of our membership.

June 1, 2009

Evaluation of Technical Assistance on Bank Supervision by Long-Term Experts in Asia

Description: Technical Assistance Delivery by Long-Term Experts are an increasingly important vehicle for delivering TA in all financial sector areas. In recent years, the amount of MCM TA provided through LTEs has been about 28 staff years annually, or 36 percent of MCM’s total TA field delivery (including RTACs). This share has recently risen as a result of the steady increase in external financing and the cutback in MCM’s own resources for capacity building in the context of the recent downsizing. Indeed, the share of LTEs (who are mostly externally financed) in total planned MCM TA jumped to 41 percent in fiscal year 2009 (May-April). As these factors are expected to persist, the importance of LTEs as a means of delivering TA will likely increase further.

May 29, 2009

Borrowing Agreement with Norges Bank

Description: This paper presents for the approval of the Executive Board a draft borrowing agreement between Norges Bank and the Fund. On March 28, the Finance Minister of Norway announced that the Ministry of Finance and Norges Bank (the central bank of Norway) were exploring a possible Norwegian contribution of up to 30 billion Norwegian kroner (about US$4.5 billion or SDR 3 billion) of financial resources to the IMF to support the Fund’s ability to provide timely and effective balance of payments assistance to its members in the current crisis. Staff and Norges Bank representatives have now reached agreement on a draft borrowing agreement, the text of which is set forth in the Attachment (“the Agreement”).

April 22, 2009

Progress Report on the Activities of the Independent Evaluation Office

Description: The recent developments in the world economy pose many questions regarding the role of the Fund in surveillance and crisis prevention. In view of this, the IEO will be launching an evaluation of how well the Fund performed in the run-up to this crisis. Launching of this study was discussed at a recent meeting of the Evaluation Committee of the Executive Board. Work on this study will start in the coming weeks, and a draft Issues Paper will be issued before the next IMFC meeting.

April 20, 2009

Provisional Agenda for the Nineteenth Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee

April 17, 2009

Update on the Financing of the Fund's Concessional Assistance and Debt Relief to Low-Income Member Countries

Description: This paper provides a semi-annual review of the status of financing for PRGF-ESF lending, subsidization of emergency assistance, and HIPC and MDRI debt relief. The last review was completed by the Executive Board on September 24, 2008. The paper does not address the G-20’s recent call for additional concessional resources, which is discussed in a separate paper.

April 17, 2009

An Overview of the Legal, Institutional, and Regulatory Framework for Bank Insolvency

Description: This study provides an overview of the legal, institutional, and regulatory framework that countries should put in place to address cases of bank insolvency. It is primarily intended to inform the work of the staffs of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, and to provide guidance to their member countries.

April 17, 2009

Statement by the Managing Director on the IMF's Crisis Response and Reform Agenda

Description: Crisis response to date. As the world economy has become engulfed in the worst crisis in many generations, the Fund has mobilized on many fronts to support its member countries. We have responded with prompt, large and flexible financial support where needed. Our monitoring, forecasts, and policy advice, informed by a global perspective and by experience from previous crises, have been in high demand. We have deployed a broad financial safety net, through an overhaul of our general lending framework that makes it better suited to members’ needs, and by garnering pledges for a massive increase in Fund resources. And we have contributed to the ongoing collective effort to draw lessons from the crisis for policy, regulation, and the global architecture.

April 14, 2009

Review of the Fund's Income Position for FY 2009 and FY 2010

Description: This paper reviews the Fund’s income position for FY 2009 and FY 2010. The proposals build on previous discussions relating to implementation of the new income model, the framework for accumulating precautionary balances, and the recent reform of the Fund’s lending toolkit.

The paper is structured as follows: Section II reviews the income position for FY 2009 and explains the main changes from the projections at the midyear review; Section III makes proposals that pertain to the FY 2009 income position, including the disposition of investment income, the overall income position of the General Resources Account (GRA), and the annual reimbursement of the GRA for the expenses of conducting the business of the SDR Department and the MDRI-I Trust; Section IV reviews the FY 2010 income outlook, including the margin for the rate of charge; Section V reviews the burden sharing mechanism; and Section VI reviews special charges.