Policy Papers
2021
March 16, 2021
Fund Support for Debt- and Debt-Service-Reduction Operations
Description: The note concludes that the Fund could support a member’s use of buybacks, cash sweeteners, or collateral in the context of a Fund-supported program, provided that (i) debt restructurings using buybacks, cash sweeteners or collateral offer significant efficiency gains relative to debt restructurings that do not rely on such instruments, but are underpinned by a regular Fund-supported program; and (ii) an adequate cushion of non-multilateral debt remains after the operation. The conditions under which buybacks, cash sweeteners or collateral can be expected to deliver significant efficiency gains are narrow and specified in some detail.
March 15, 2021
Review of The Method of Valuation of The SDR—Proposed Extension of The Valuation Of The SDR Basket and Modification of The Date Of Effect of A New Basket
Description: On March 5, 2021, the IMF’s Executive Board approved an extension of the current Special Drawing Right (SDR) valuation basket by ten months from September 30, 2021 to July 31, 2022. The IMF normally reviews the composition and valuation of the SDR basket every five years. The extension effectively resets the five-yearly cycle of SDR valuation reviews, with the next review to be completed by mid-2022 and the new basket becoming effective on August 1, 2022. The ten-month extension contributes to the Fund’s ongoing efforts to prioritize work during the COVID-19 crisis and allows for a more suitable effectiveness date of the new basket, which does not coincide with some major markets being closed. The approved extension, as well as effectiveness date of a new basket, is intended to facilitate the continued smooth functioning of SDR-related operations.
March 5, 2021
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (October 2017)
Description: Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on October 4, 2017, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its first semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report covered issues related to the quota formula and realigning quota shares as well as issues related to the adequacy of Fund resources, discussed in informal meetings on September 1 and on September 15, 2017, respectively.
March 5, 2021
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Additional Considerations and Data Update
Description: This paper recaps the findings of previous staff work on the adequacy of Fund resources and tests the robustness of the earlier analysis. It also updates the quota database by one year through 2016 and the previous illustrative simulations of possible reforms of the quota formula. Finally, the paper explores possible approaches to distributing a quota increase, including earlier illustrative simulations of distributions based primarily on the quota formula and alternative approaches that could combine a limited further reform of the formula in areas where there is broad support with additional elements outside the formula to help build consensus.
March 5, 2021
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (April 2018)
Description: Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on April 3, 2018, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its second semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report covered issues relating to both the adequacy of Fund resources and the quota formula and realigning quota shares, discussed in an informal meeting on February 2, 2018 and building on the earlier discussions in the fall of 2017.
March 5, 2021
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (September 2018)
Description: Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on September 21, 2018, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its third semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report covered additional issues relating to both the adequacy of Fund resources and the quota formula and realigning quota shares, discussed in an informal meeting on July 30, 2018.
March 5, 2021
Progress on the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors (April 2019)
Description: Following the guidance on the Board of Governors Resolution No. 72-1 (December 2016), on April 3, 2019, the Executive Board discussed and adopted its fourth semi-annual report on progress on the Fifteenth Review. The report described that it had become evident that it would not be possible to secure the required support for a quota increase under the Fifteenth Review.
March 5, 2021
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Quota Formula and Realigning Shares
Description: This paper provides background for an initial discussion under the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas (15th Review) in line with the work plan agreed by the Executive Board. It discusses issues related to further reforms of the quota formula and realigning quota shares, based on updated quota data through 2015. A companion paper, to be discussed separately, will address issues related to the size of the Fund and mix of quota and borrowed resources. Both these papers seek to facilitate initial discussions on some of the key issues for the 15th Review. No proposals are made at this stage, recognizing that further deliberations will be needed before the issues under discussion can begin to be narrowed down.
March 5, 2021
Adequacy of Fund Resources—Further Considerations
Description: This paper is part of the workplan on the 15th General Review of Quotas (15th Review). The paper provides a two-pillar framework for assessing the adequacy of Fund resources, building on the staff paper discussed by the Board in March 2016. The second pillar of the framework is qualitative in nature. The paper also provides information to support a discussion on the mix of Fund resources.
March 5, 2021
Fifteenth General Review of Quotas—Further Considerations
Description: The paper revisits the two-pillar framework for assessing the adequacy of Fund resources. Responding to Directors suggestions, the quantitative pillar is updated to include alternative assumptions and to provide a longer-term perspective on likely resource needs. While quantitative estimates are generally somewhat lower after factoring in the alternative assumptions, these reductions are more than outweighed when the analysis is extended through the middle of the next decade, recognizing that the outcome of the 15th Review will likely determine permanent Fund resources through at least the middle of the next decade. The updated qualitative pillar analysis highlights reforms since the global financial crisis and discusses uncertainties in the global environment. It also provides an assessment of the general impact of the various qualitative considerations. Taken together, the two pillars continue to make a case for at least maintaining existing Fund resources. Against this background, the simulations in the paper cover three illustrative sizes for quota increases (50, 75, and 100 percent), centered on broadly maintaining Fund resources, assuming the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) is maintained at its current level and Bilateral Borrowing Agreements (BBAs) expire.