Policy Papers
2014
April 7, 2014
Budget Institutions in G-20 Countries - An Update
Description: The recent crisis left many G-20 countries with significant fiscal consolidation needs. There is evidence that well-designed budget institutions can help countries to plan and deliver successful fiscal adjustments. A 2010 internal IMF study identified ten budget institutions which can support the consolidation process, assessed their strength in each G-20 country, and identified priorities for institutional reform. Following consultations with all G-20 countries and using a revised evaluation framework, this paper: (i) reports on progress in strengthening their budget institutions; (ii) analyzes their impact on post-crisis fiscal performance; and (iii) makes recommendations for further institutional reform.
April 7, 2014
Budget Institutions in G-20 Countries - Country Evaluations
Description: The central government publishes comprehensive financial statements, which include the social security funds and balance sheets with all financial assets and liabilities. Audited financial statements are published more than nine months after the end of the fiscal year. The 2004 Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF), introduced a number of key reforms in public financial management which apply to the central and most of the first layer of sub-national governments. The reforms include establishment of a macro-fiscal framework, fiscal rules, a medium-term budget framework (MTBF), a system of quarterly budget execution reports, and the Federal Council on Fiscal Responsibility (FCFR) which is tasked to enforce the provisions of the LRF However, there are problems with the LRF and its implementation: (i) the out-years of the MTBF are indicative only; (ii) several LRF provisions have been suspended or relaxed since 2009; (iii) some provinces are not complying with their obligations under the law; and (iv) membership in the FCFR is not mandatory and adherence to the LRF is voluntary. The FCFR comprises of representatives of the central government, the city of Buenos Aires,1 and 21 of the 23 provincial governments. Nonetheless, the law has significantly increased the capacity to coordinate fiscal policies across levels of government and individual jurisdictions. Differences between macroeconomic and fiscal forecasts and outturns are not analyzed. Limited information is presented on fiscal risks. Budget execution control and reporting have been strengthened through a series of upgrades to the Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIDIF), which began operations in 1993.
April 5, 2014
Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda to the International Monetary and Financial Committee
Description:
Global activity is strengthening, but the recovery is uneven and remains too weak for comfort, with geopolitical tensions injecting new concerns. Key challenges include risks from a lasting rise in capital flow volatility for emerging and frontier economies and very low inflation in advanced economies, especially the euro area. Creating a more dynamic, job rich global economy remains our collective goal. For this, policymakers should manage the recovery more actively and reinforce their cooperation to minimize negative spillovers and promote financial stability.
The Executive Summary is also available in
Arabic , Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian , and Spanish.
April 1, 2014
FY2015-FY2017 Medium-Term Budget
Description: The proposed FY 15–17 Medium-Term Budget (MTB) was formulated within the Fund’s strategic planning framework to align allocation of resources to the delivery of institutional priorities.
April 1, 2014
Revised Guidelines for Public Debt Management
Description:
The Guidelines for Public Debt Management (Guidelines) have been developed as part of a broader work program undertaken by the IMF and the World Bank to strengthen the international financial architecture, promote policies and practices that contribute to financial stability and transparency, and reduce countries’ external vulnerabilities.
In developing the Guidelines, IMF and World Bank staffs worked in close collaboration with debt management entities from a broad group of IMF-World Bank member countries and international institutions in a comprehensive outreach process. The debt managers’ insights, which this process brought to the Guidelines, have enabled the enunciation of broadly applicable principles, as well as institutional and operational foundations, that have relevance for members with a wide range of institutional structures and at different stages of development.
The revision of the Guidelines was requested by the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, at their meeting in Moscow, on February 15–16, 2013. Since their adoption in 2001, and amendments in 2003, financial sector regulatory changes and macroeconomic policy developments, especially in response to the recent financial crisis, have significantly affected the general financial landscape. As a consequence, many countries have experienced significant shifts in their debt portfolios, in terms of both size and composition. Accordingly, the Guidelines were reviewed and revised to reflect the evolving public debt management challenges over the last decade.
March 24, 2014
Staff Guidance Note on the Fund's Engagement with Small Developing States
Description: This note highlights the unique economic characteristics and constraints facing small developing states. It provides operational guidance on Fund engagement with such countries, including on how small country size might influence the use of Fund facilities and instruments, program design, capacity building activities, and collaboration with other institutions and donors. The guidance note draws on the March 2013 Board papers on small states and the associated Executive Board discussion. The findings of the paper and implications for Fund engagement with small states were presented to small states authorities during the 2013 Annual Meetings, as well as in regional IMF conferences with small states in the Bahamas (September 2013) and Vanuatu (November 2013).
March 19, 2014
Modifications to the Special Data Dissemination Standard Plus
Description: The Special Data Dissemination Standard Plus (SDDS Plus) was established in October 2012 to reinforce and supplement the Fund’s Data Standards Initiatives and assist Fund members who decide to adhere to the SDDS Plus with regard to the publication of comprehensive, timely, accessible, and reliable economic and financial statistical data in a world of continuing economic and financial integration. The SDDS Plus also requires adherents to disseminate metadata to promote public knowledge and understanding of their compilation practices with respect to the required data categories. Following consultations conducted between Fund staff and members’ authorities of potential adherents to the SDDS Plus, it appeared necessary to introduce certain modifications to the SDDS Plus legal framework to facilitate adherence. These modifications are consistent with views expressed by Executive Directors in informal discussions with staff, and entail (i) extending the timeliness of three data categories and (ii) maintaining consistency with the principle underlying the SDDS Plus framework under which subscribers may chose to adopt new methodologies or continue to follow older ones. The Executive Board approved, on a lapse-of-time basis, the proposed decision in the paper. The existing rules governing the SDDS Plus are superseded by the new SDDS Plus legal text.
March 12, 2014
Global Liquidity - Issues for Surveillance
Description: The paper starts by presenting evidence of commonality in global financial conditions. This commonality is then related to specific drivers of global financial conditions through a range of transmission channels, including cross-border banking and portfolio flows. Empirical analysis shows a range of price and quantity factors, including measures of risk, bank leverage, and interest rates in financial centers, to drive in part these flows. Country specific policies, including exchange rate and prudential frameworks, are shown to affect the transmission of global conditions. Much remains unknown though, including how evolving structures of global funding, changing institutions, and ongoing financial innovations affect the mechanics of liquidity creation, the channels of liquidity transmission, and potential risks going forward.
March 7, 2014
Sustaining Long-Run Growth and Macroeconomic Stability in Low-Income Countries—The Role of Structural Transformation and Diversification
Description: Diversification and structural transformation play important roles in influencing the macroeconomic performance of low-income countries (LICs). Increases in income per capita at early stages of development are typically accompanied by a transformation in a country’s production and export structure. This can include diversification into new products and trading partners as well as increases in the quality of existing products.
Notes:
Also Available in French