IMF Support for COVID-19 Recovery

More from the Series

Blog Post
The IMF’s Shareholders Disappoint on SDRs
March 26, 2024
There was a very disappointing development at the IMF Executive Board earlier this month—the postponement of a formal decision on whether special drawing rights (SDRs) could be recycled to the hybrid capital scheme proposed by two multilateral development banks (MDBs), the African Development Bank (...
CGD NOTES
Does SDR Recycling Impair Reserve Management? The Case of the United Kingdom
November 14, 2023
In the wake of a challenging year, the Bank of England (BoE) has found itself navigating a tumultuous economic landscape marked by significant upheavals. Following the release of the mini-budget in September 2022, the BoE was compelled to take proactive measures to stabilize the financial system. Th...
Blog Post
Empty Words, Empty Wallets: The G20’s Broken Promise on SDR Recycling
October 30, 2023
In August 2021, as the world continued to grapple with the far-reaching effects of the ongoing global pandemic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) took a significant step to help. Recognizing the unprecedented challenges faced by nations, the IMF issued an allocation of US$ 650 billion worth of S...
Blog Post
The PRGT Must Be Replenished, but There Are No Easy Options
September 14, 2023
The Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), the IMF’s primary vehicle to support low-income countries (LICs), faces a severe financial crunch. There are many ways in which this hole could be plugged to restore the PRGT, but as explained in a new CGD note, there are obstacles or drawbacks to each ...
CGD NOTES
Whither or Wither the PRGT? Funding Options for a Cash-Strapped PRGT
September 14, 2023
The IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) faces large financing needs. Unprecedented levels of lending since the start of the pandemic – four to five times higher than before the pandemic – have seriously depleted the PRGT’s subsidy resources. If these are not replenished, the PRGT’s lendi...
Blog Post
Why Central Banks Might Not Want to Recycle SDRs and Why They Are Wrong
August 23, 2023
Nearly two years have passed since the G20 committed to recycling $100 billion of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) from advanced economies to support more vulnerable countries. The most recent allocation of SDRs, the international reserve asset issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was inten...