...The initial idea to form the International Monetary Fund originated in the year 1944, when members of 45 countries gathered for a meeting in the town of Bretton Woods in New Hampshire in the United States. The objective of this meeting was to agree on a structure for economic cooperation between countries after the Second World War in order to avoid the negative impacts caused by the economic policies in the past which resulted in the Great depression of the 1930s.The International Monetary Fund was formally established in December in the year 1945 with 29 countries signing an agreement. Its membership gradually increased during the 1950s and 1960s with most of the African countries joining the International Monetary Fund after gaining independence. Currently, the International Monetary Fund has evolved to become an organization which consists of 188 member countries working with common objectives of promoting worldwide monetary cooperation, providing financial strength to countries, promoting international trade between countries, reducing unemployment and poverty in the world. The new countries who became members of the International Monetary Fund between the years 1945 and 1971 gave their consent to keep their respective exchange rates fixed at rates that can only be changed to revise a significant inequality in the balance of payments, and could only be done so with the consent of the International Monetary Fund. This system was referred to as the par value system or the...
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...The responsibilities and functions of the IMF centre on its key purpose: to deal with 'international monetary problems' by acting as the forum for its members to 'consult' and 'collaborate' with it so as to 'facilitate' and 'promote' 'international monetary co-operation', 'growth of international trade' and 'exchange rate stability' to achieve financial and economic stability. The IMF seeks to achieve these broad purposes through its core functions: surveillance, financial assistance and technical assistance to ensure its members continuously adhere to its underlying purposes. The traditional objective of surveillance is ensuring orderly exchange arrangements' among members. The IMF, in 'consultation' with its members by both bilateral and multilateral means, assesses individual members' economic and monetary policies against its purposes to ascertain whether they pose a risk to the stability of the international monetary system. It seeks to provide financial assistance to members experiencing balance of payment problems, on the basis that the individual member complies with the conditions set for such assistance so the IMF can be assured the money will be repaid. This invariably requires the member country to adjust its economic and monetary policies, giving rise to a considerable level of coercive and unfettered leverage by the IMF to ensure changes are indeed made. The final function of the IMF is to provide technical assistance to its members, but without the same degree...
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...Q5) International Monetary Fund (IMF) role is to stabilize the international exchange rates and promote liberal economic policies. IMF will also provide short-term loan to assist members to overcome short-term imbalance of payment problems. On the other hand, World Bank offers loans to members to finance productive investments as well as assisting developing countries in its economy so as to reduce poverty within the country. Singapore joins both IMF and World Bank under the Bretton Woods Agreements Acts in 1966, 3 August. Before we join to become IMF as a member, during the Singapore-Malaya separation, we had sought for their technical assistance and to act as a broker in the negotiation with Malaysia for a common currency and banking system. In order to so, IMF first conducted a preliminary study to identify the concerns of Singapore and Malaysia regarding the common currency issue. IMF then acts as a broker in the final round of negotiations between 10 June 1966 and 5 July 1966. Before joining World Bank as a member, Singapore had sought for 2 loans where the first loan of US$15 million was used for the construction of the first phase of the Pasir Panjang ‘B’ Power Station and the second loan of US$6.8 million was used to construct Johor River Water Project. As a pre-requisite for the loan, the World Bank then requested our government to set up statutory authority (Public Utilities Board [PUB]) to manage the utilization and repayment of the loan. The advantages...
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... Criticisms on the controversial roles of IMF in East Asia Financial Crisis Introduction Now and then, nation to nation, financial crises are inevitable: Mexico in 1994, the whole East Asia region in 1997, Brazil in 1999, and the most recently Argentina in 2001. Looking back to the victims of such financial crises, we found that most of them are labeled as the developing countries, whose financial sectors were still weak at that time yet were impetuously exposed to the advocated ‘Liberal financial market’ which was supported by the Neoclassical Liberalism social economists. Among all these financial crises, the financial storm in East Asia, starting from the year of 1997, wreaked beyond doubt the greatest havoc on the Asia and the world economy as a whole, dragging down the ‘Asian tigers’ (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore) from the peak of the glorious ‘Economic Miracle’ in the past few years. Because of the severity and contagion of the East Asia Crisis, important questions have been raised such as the causes of the crisis, the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the financial architecture of international capital markets. As one of the most important international organizations, IMF has its great impact on the world economy. In this paper, the influence of IMF before the eruption of the crisis and its role in the recovery of East Asia economy will...
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...Bank. IMF was created to return equilibrium to countries that were suffering from economic deficit. Countries that are facing economic and financial problems, and are affected with the economic crisis, should be supported by the IMF, but there are some conditions in order to take that support and help, as well as the IMF have policies that works through. Members of IMF are 188 countries; these countries have the right to get helped from the program. IMF track the situations of the member companies and if they find any economic difficulties they help the country financially to achieve economic stability. IMF is lending some companies that are suffering from financial troubles for many reasons, the main role of IMF lending are handling the countries that are suffering from financial problems, settling their economies as well as helping the sustainable economic growth to retain. Helping countries financially helps those avoiding adverse shocks, which was caused by the global financial crisis, so IMF is needed to prevent countries from financial crisis. IMF also helps the suffered countries that work with short-trade in order to help them avoid some trade shocks by supporting their adjustments and the balance of payments. Examples of adjustments to shocks is disruptive economic adjustment which will have bad economic and financial effects on the country itself and on other countries The first condition that a country should meet if it request for a financial help from the IMF, is...
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...International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The IMF job would be to maintain order in the international monetary system, the World Bank job would be to promote general economic development. The agreement called for a system of fixed exchange rates that would be enforced by the IMF. The IMF was the main custodian; it would try to avoid a repetition of the past through a combination of discipline and flexibility. Discipline the need to maintain a fixed exchange rate, slow down competitive devaluation, and bring stability to the world trade environment. The IMF enforces a fixed exchange rate and imposes monetary discipline on countries, thereby curtailing price inflation. The IMF stood ready to lend foreign currencies to members to get them over short periods of payment deficits. A pool of gold and currencies were contributed by IMF members to provide the resources for lending. Countries were allowed to borrow from the IMF without adhering to a specific agreement. Countries the borrowed heavily would have to agree to increasingly stringent IMF supervision of its macroeconomic policies, agree to monetary and fiscal conditions which included IMF mandated targets on domestic money supply growth exchange rate policies, tax policy and government spending. The IMF would eventually become deeply imbedded in borrowing countries politics, government and economic health. Countries that require extensive help from the IMF would eventually become an IMF puppet....
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...IMF Intervention and Relevance Abstract In todays modernised global financial markets technological advancements have transformed the way investors, financial institutions, governments and central banks operate. This has brought about a crisis of confidence in the ability of any one body to provide high quality surveillance, supervision and crisis management. Countries are unwilling to borrow from the IMF due to the intrusive economic reform policy conditionalities. Cocktail mixes of tax increases, spending cuts and privatisation of public sector assets have proven difficult for local governments to serve. The funds inability to keep pace with an expanding global economy suggest redefining itself with a more modest role that is fitting for such an international monetary system may be the best approach, As opposed to expanding the funds activities. Table of contents 1. Introduction page 1 2. Objectives page 1 3. Rationale page 1 4. Literature review page 2 4.1 The Mandate page 2 4.2 Consequences of IMF Programme Implementation page 2 4.3 IMF Relevance page 6 5. Conclusion page 9 6. Reference 1. Introduction This...
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...Annexure-V- Cover Page for Academic Tasks Course Code: Course Title: | Course Instructor: | Academic Task No.: Academic Task Title: | Date of Allotment: Date of submission: | Student’s Roll no: Student’s Reg. no: | Evaluation Parameters: (Parameters on which student is to be evaluated- To be mentioned by students as specified at the time of assigning the task by the instructor) | Learning Outcomes: (Student to write briefly about learnings obtained from the academic tasks) Declaration: I declare that this Assignment is my individual work. I have not copied it from any other student‟s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made explicitly in the text, nor has any part been written for me by any other person. Student Signature: Evaluator’s comments (For Instructor’s use only) General Observations Suggestions for Improvement Best part of assignment S. No | Name of Student | Registration No | Peer Rating (10) | Signature | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Evaluator‟s Signature and Date: Marks Obtained: Max. Marks: ………………………… Subject: Rubrics for written report of ECO310 Category | 5 marks Exemplary | 2-4 marks satisfactory | 1 marks unsatisfactory...
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...What role does the IMF play in the European Debt Crisis? Causes and Implications A number of economic misfortunes that started in 2002 created a European fiscal dilemma, including increasing debt experienced by the banks and governments of several European countries. It is believed that the uncontrolled debt led to the fiscal predicament that extended to grave proportions. Currently, at least 16 European countries are in debt. Among the countries most affected are Greece, Spain, Ireland, and Portugal. All of the countries in the Eurozone share a monetary currency called the Euro Dollar and have closely connected economies. Implications that have come about as a result of the Euro debt crisis may include Economic changes in Europe, Government bailouts, Stress to banking systems, and further economic deterioration. Role of the imf The IMF could play a very useful role in any comprehensive solution by providing some of the firepower to reassure the markets, and, more importantly, by supplying discipline to the execution of the rescue plans through enforcing conditionality on loan disbursements. The staff of the International Monetary Fund said in its latest assessment that the crisis in the euro area has reached a critical stage, and urged the 17 countries of the Eurozone to remain strongly committed to a vigorous and complete monetary union, including a unified banking system and more fiscal integration. The IMF has offered solutions for short term support to the Eurozone...
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...Trisha LaFleur Econ 375 McNeil 17 November 2014 IMF’s Role on Asian Crisis In July of 1997 Thailand devalued the Baht and thus began the ‘Asian Crisis’ that would soon affect other Southeast Asian countries including the other two that were hit the hardest Indonesia and South Korea. Each country had no choice but to seek help from The International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF would have to pull through in aiding these countries out of this crisis, after carefully reviewing each country and see to what extent their financial problems had developed. As you can see below on Graph 1 each country’s exchange rate had depreciated tremendously during the crisis. With the demise of each Country’s currency their public debt, as shown on Chart 2 below, had grown tremendously. Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea each developed specific financial restructuring measures that were agreed upon with the IMF. Graph 1: Chart 2: It all started on May 14th 1997 when Thailand started pouring foreign currency into the market in order to ‘to defend the Thai baht against speculative attacks,’ according to the “TimeLine of the Crisis” written by PBS. Two months later the Baht had reached an all-time low of 20% devaluation. Indonesia started to widen its ‘trading band for the rupiah in a move to discourage speculators’ only seven days after Indonesia’s reach for assistance (PBS). No more than two weeks pass until the Singapore dollar starts to devalue. Shortly after that, the...
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...Pamphlet Series No. 53 Governance of the IMF Decision Making, Institutional Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability Leo Van Houtven INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND 2002 Pamphlet Series No. 53 Governance of the IMF Decision Making, Institutional Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability Leo Van Houtven INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Washington, D.C. 2002 ISBN 1-58906-130-6 ISSN 0538-8759 August 2002 The views expressed in this pamphlet, including any legal aspects, are those of the author and should not be attributed to Executive Directors of the IMF or their national authorities. Cover design and typesetting: IMF Graphics Section Please send orders to: International Monetary Fund, Publication Services 700 19th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431, USA Tel.: (202) 623-7430 Telefax: (202) 623-7201 E-mail: publications@imf.org Internet: http://www.imf.org Contents Preface ............................................................................................... List of Abbreviations ........................................................................ I. II. Introduction ........................................................................... Quotas and Voting Power in the IMF: A System That Calls for Greater Equity ................................................... Role of Quotas and the Debate on the Quota Formula............ Further Work Toward Correcting Distortions and Enhancing Equity in Voting Power .....................
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...Economics THE LENDING ARRANGEMENTS OF THE IMF IN EUROPEAN UNION IN TIMES OF CRISIS – CHARACTERISTICS AND EVOLUTIONS ORĂȘTEAN Ramona Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania Abstract: This paper focuses on the lending arrangements of the IMF in EU countries during crisis period. First, we reviewed the literature regarding IMF-supported programs in times of crisis. On the other hand, we provided a description of the IMF arrangements in EU countries in 2008-2013. We found that these programs differ in type, duration, amount and conditionality, but not significantly in their key objectives (achieving sustainable public finances and ensuring financial sector stability). Key words: IMF lending arrangements, EU countries, crisis 1. IMF – supported programs in times of crisis – a literature review Some authors examine the role of the IMF as crisis manager and crisis lender (Boughton, 2000; Chandavarkar, 2002), the role played by the IMF as a creditor and as a monitor of economic reforms (Marchesi and Sabani, 2007) or the efficacy of IMF's finance in preventing financial crises (Brandes and Schule, 2008). Many articles have been written on the role of the IMF in financing and designing economic reform programs for developing countries and in dealing with crisis periods, thus: - the IMF's role in dealing with the Asian crisis in Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea in 1997-1998 (Jonas, 1999; Ito, 2007); - the IMF-supported program in Indonesia during...
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...| The World Bank (IBRD) and The International Monetary Fund (IMF) | | | | | Appendix CDF Comprehensive Development Framework IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IMF International Monetary Fund LIC low-income countries SDR special drawing right Executive Summary The second half of the twentieth century was one of unprecedented economic achievement. Rapid growth in the world economy, fueled by expanding international trade and advancing technology, brought more rapid increases in living standards to more of the world's people than ever before in history. And yet, despite these significant gains, we live in a world with severe deprivation and inequality. Over one billion people one fifth of the world's population live on less than a dollar a day, and per capita incomes in some countries have been declining for decades. In the next two decades, world population will grow by another two billion people. Nearly all of them will be born in developing countries. Without action by the international community, the global divide will worsen. We live in one world, and poverty is a threat to global security and welfare. The purpose of IMF & World Bank (IBRD) is to help all our member countries develop their human potential and productive resources, thereby building the foundations for sustainable economic growth. Recent history shows that countries that pursue the right policies, operating in a growing world economy, and with...
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...| About IMF The International Monetary Fund (IMF) works to bring up International Monetary Cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth and to reduce the poverty around the world. IMF was created in 1945 and it’s an organization of 187 countries. Why IMF was created and how it works? The IMF, also known as the “Fund,” was conceived at a United Nations conference convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States, in July 1944. The 44 governments represented at that conference sought to build a framework for economic cooperation that would avoid a repetition of the vicious circle of competitive devaluations that had contributed to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Work of IMF The primary mission of the IMF is to provide financial assistance to countries those countries who experience financial and economic difficulties and to sought those difficulties they are given financial help by using funds deposited with the IMF from the institution’s 187 member countries. Member of IMF states with balance of payments problems, which often arise from these difficulties, may request loans from IMF to help fill gaps between what countries earn and/or are able to borrow from other official lenders and what countries must spend to operate, including covering the cost of importing basic goods and services. In return, countries are required to launch certain reforms which have often been dubbed...
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...The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was originally established in order to encourage international co-operation to cope with recession and protectionism on a world scale and to discourage individual countries from pursuing policies that would beggar their neighbors and eventually themselves. The desire to improve on the international chaos of the 1930s led to the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, and an attempt to devise a financial system which would provide a more permanent and acceptable framework for international transactions. It was intended that the emerging Bretton Woods system would generate benefits for international trade in the form of stable (though not necessarily fixed) exchange rates, while at the same time, avoiding the deflationary rigidities of the gold standard mechanism. The system was designed to ensure a world of full employment and economic growth. This paper will examine a few of the negative and positive aspects the IMF has had since its inception, and how it has evolved over time to answer the question, is the IMF a sinner or saint? If the general purpose of the IMF at its inception was to oversee the operation of the infant Bretton Woods system, its more specific purposes were spelled out in Article 1 of its Articles of Agreement as follows: | (i) To promote international monetary cooperation through a permanent institution which provides the machinery for consultation and collaboration on international monetary problems. | | (ii) To facilitate...
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