Saudi Arabia may have a budget deficit of 19.5% of GDP this year unless it rapidly changes course and accommodates the new, cheap oil world, according to the IMF. Alas, the Kingdom has almost zero short term incentive to do so. A generous social contract rapidly fraying Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom is topped by the wealthy Saud … Continue reading
“The International Monetary Fund pushed back until Sept. 30, 2016, the date that China’s yuan could be included in its basket of reserve currencies,” Bloomberg reports. The news agency said the following: The executive board, which represents the IMF’s 188 member nations, voted Aug. 11 to extend the composition of the fund’s Special Drawing Rights for … Continue reading
China is moving to a “new normal” of slower yet safer and more sustainable growth. This involves giving the market a more decisive role in the economy, says the IMF in its annual assessment of the economy. China’s growth is expected to be 6.8 percent in 2015, down from 7.4 percent last year. This slowdown, … Continue reading
Banks in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) reduced the pace of deleveraging in the first quarter of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, and the related capital outflows moderated. Credit growth continued to diverge across the CESEE region, according to the latest report from the Vienna Initiative Steering Committee. Banks reporting to the Bank … Continue reading
Russia is now likely in recession with GDP growth expected to decline 3.4 percent this year, says the IMF in its annual economic assessment. Mission Chief Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, explains how Russia’s economic woes are largely due to the dramatic drop in oil prices, and sanctions in response to developments in Crimea and Ukraine. Ernesto … Continue reading
“The International Monetary Fund said the yuan trails its global counterparts in major benchmarks and that “significant work” in analyzing data is needed before deciding whether to grant the Chinese currency reserve status,” Bloomberg reports. According to the news agency: IMF staff members also opened the door to a possible delay in any approval with … Continue reading
SDR review takes place every five years Staff paper lays out initial considerations; formal Board meeting late 2015 Focus on Chinese renminbi for meeting inclusion criteria The IMF Executive Board will formally review the composition and valuation of the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket toward the end of the year. As part of this process, … Continue reading
If, as has been observed, demography is destiny, this will be the African century. By Antoinette M. Sayeh and Abebe Aemro Selassie Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa are on the cusp of a demographic transition—the years when the share of young and old in the population declines and those in working age range (15-64 years) increases. Elsewhere, … Continue reading
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank recently raised the red flag over debt, stating Kenya must put a tight lid on it to keep its economy on a steady growth path. According to the Business Daily, Kenya’s debt load crossed the 50 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) mark to stand at … Continue reading
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today (July 31) completed the first review of Ukraine’s Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The completion of this review enables the disbursement of SDR 1,182.1 million (about US$1.7 billion), which would bring total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 4.72 billion (about US$6.68 … Continue reading