Review of the Fund's Transparency Policy


Book Description

The Fund has come a long way since the inception of its policy toward increased openness some ten years ago. Most Board documents are now published; the volume of information in the Fund’s archives has increased significantly; and the Fund has strengthened outreach efforts to explain its operations and views to the outside world. Transparency and openness has become increasingly seen as a normal and essential part of the Fund’s business. There are significant benefits from increased transparency: it strengthens the Fund’s ability to influence public debate, subjects the Fund to outside scrutiny, and enhances the Fund’s legitimacy by making it more accountable. These benefits will only loom larger as the Fund takes on a larger role in calling out risks to the global economy, to help prevent future economic and financial crises. Indeed, in today’s world openness from public institutions like the Fund is generally expected.




Review of the Fund's Transparency Policy


Book Description

This review analyzes trends in publication of IMF documents and experience with various aspects of the transparency policy since July 2003, based on: Fund-wide data on publication; records of changes made to published staff reports; a survey of mission chiefs; and ten country case studies involving interviews with staff and Executive Directors.




The Fund's Transparency Policy - Review of Experience and Next Steps


Book Description

This paper reviews the experience with transparency of the Fund’s activities and its members’ policies. Transparency of the Fund as an institution has now become much more systematic. Fund missions consult more regularly with a broad group of interested parties. The Independent Evaluation Office has been established to provide objective and independent evaluation of issues related to the Fund. The Fund’s transparency has also been increased through external consultations on, and independent evaluations of, its own policies and more systematic publication of policy papers. Finally, the Fund has enhanced the provision of information to the public through its website, and a substantial percentage of documents covering a wide range of topics is now published. Overall, activities of the Fund are now subject to much greater public scrutiny.




Review Of The Fund’s Policy On Multiple Currency Practices


Book Description

This paper reviews the Fund’s policy on multiple currency practices (MCPs). There remain strong economic and legal reasons to retain a policy on MCPs. The over-arching aim of the review is to make the policy and its application more effective. Based on this review, the paper proposes initial considerations for reforming features of the policy that have created challenges. • Clarifying the concept of “official action” to focus on measures that segment FX markets. • Eliminating potentiality. • Updating the threshold for permissible FX spreads. • Adjusting approval policies. • Reviewing links with capital transactions. • Considering merits of a remedial framework.




Transparency in Government Operations


Book Description

Transparency in government operations is widely regarded as an important precondition for macroeconomic fiscal sustainability, good governance, and overall fiscal rectitude. Notably, the Interim Committee, at its April and September 1996 meetings, stressed the need for greater fiscal transparency. Prompted by these concerns, this paper represents a first attempt to address many of the aspects of transparency in government operations. It provides an overview of major issues in fiscal transparency and examines the IMF's role in promoting transparency in government operations.




The Fund's Transparency Policy - Proposed Amendments


Book Description

Provides a commentary on the main policy changes agreed by Executive Directors, provides a commentary on other amendments, many of which are designed to implement policy changes already agreed by the Executive Board in other contexts or to clarify the implementation of existing policies. Explains the original staff proposals that are not being retained. Reviews changes and clarifications endorsed by the Board that do not require an amendment to the transparency policy decision.




Reviews of the Fund's Sovereign ARREARS Policies and Perimeter


Book Description

This paper undertakes a comprehensive review of the Fund’s sovereign arrears policies. Staff assesses that the Fund’s Lending into Arrears to Private Creditors (LIA) policy (established in 1989 and last reviewed in 2002) remains broadly appropriate, while recommending some improvements given the experience gained over the last 20 years. Staff also sees merit in codifying the existing practice guiding the Fund in preemptive debt restructurings into a Fund policy, together with an amendment focusing on debt transparency. Given limited experience with the application of the LIOA policy (established in 2015), staff does not propose any amendments but only one restatement confirming current practice. Given recent developments in the international creditor community, staff proposes refining the Fund’s arrears policies with respect to multilateral creditors. Finally, recent developments raise questions about the perimeter between official bilateral and private claims, with significant implications for the Fund’s arrears policies.




Improving Fiscal Transparency to Raise Government Efficiency and Reduce Corruption Vulnerabilities in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe


Book Description

This departmental paper investigates how countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) can improve fiscal transparency, thereby raising government efficiency and reducing corruption vulnerabilities.




Research Handbook on Sovereign Wealth Funds and International Investment Law


Book Description

Research on the role of sovereign investments in a time of crisis is still unsatisfactory. This Research Handbook illustrates the state of the art of the legal investigation on sovereign investments, filling necessary gaps in previous research. Current