IMF

Urges Cooperative Approach To Global Problems

June 9, 2008 -- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn today urged policy makers around the world to seek a cooperative approach to global challenges stemming from the rise in food and fuel prices and a worldwide economic slowdown linked to spillovers from the U.S. "Policymakers can respond in two ways: they can take the mercantilist approach, looking only at what is best for their country.

Or they can look for multilateral solutions. History has shown us the defects of the first approach and the difficulties of the second," Mr. Strauss-Kahn said in a speech at the International Economic Forum of the Americas in Montreal.    » read more »

June 3, 2008 -- In remarks presented at a High-Level Conference on World Food Security in Rome, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn today warned that high food prices are a serious humanitarian concern as well as a source of macroeconomic instability affecting budgets, trade balances, prices and incomes almost everywhere in the world.

He urged donor governments and agencies to move swiftly to support appropriate food aid, particularly for the world's poor, calling effective action a "moral and economic imperative."    » read more »

May 23, 2008 -- Mr. Mario Garza, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) resident representative in Honduras, issued the following statement yesterday in Tegucigalpa:

"The IMF mission that visited Honduras during May 13-21, 2008 discussed policy responses to the weakening external conditions in the context of the Government's program supported by the Stand-By arrangement with the IMF. The mission held policy meetings with the economic cabinet, congress, the state electricity company (ENEE), and the private sector.    » read more »

Explores Challenges Policymakers Face in Seeking to Limit the Impact of Financial Turbulence

April 21, 2008 -- Europe is facing slower growth as a result of protracted financial turbulence, high inflation and spillovers from an expected mild recession in the United States.

IMF headquarters: Washington, D.C.

The IMF's Regional Outlook (REO) for Europe released today projects economic growth in advanced European economies to slow significantly over the next two years to 1.5 percent in 2008 and 1.4 percent in 2009, from 2.8 percent in 2007.

In Emerging Europe, growth is also expected to moderate, to 5.5 percent in 2008 and 5.2 percent in 2009, down from 6.9 percent in 2007.    » read more »

April 11, 2008 -- Economies in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region have generally held up well so far in the face of recent global financial strains, according to the IMF's latest Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere, released today. Many countries in the region are benefiting from stronger fiscal and external positions and improved credibility of policy frameworks, said Mr. Anoop Singh, Director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department.    » read more »

March 12, 2008 -- John Lipsky, First Deputy Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), called today for "decisive policy action" to strengthen the global financial system, noting that authorities worldwide must also "think the unthinkable" so that they can better anticipate and react to potential global economic risks.    » read more »

21 November 2007 -- The International Monetary Fund's former chief economist says China is violating its rules by keeping its currency artificially undervalued. Michael Mussa says Beijing must revalue its currency for the sake of global economic stability.    » read more »