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FACTBOX-IMF Emergency Loan Programmes In Past Six Months

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  • FACTBOX-IMF Emergency Loan Programmes In Past Six Months

    FACTBOX-IMF EMERGENCY LOAN PROGRAMMES IN PAST SIX MONTHS

    Reuters
    March 4 2009
    UK

    March 4 (Reuters) - Following are details of the main emergency loan
    programmes initiated by International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the
    past six months as the global economic crisis has deepened.

    In the latest development, Sri Lanka's central bank on Wednesday said
    it was negotiating a $1.9 billion loan.

    Below are details of some of IMF's lending packages:

    * ARMENIA -- The IMF approved a three-year, $13.6 million loan
    programme in November to support Armenia's economy through to
    2011. Armenia is also negotiating with other international lenders to
    secure a stabilisation loan worth a total of $525 million to support
    Armenian businesses hurt by the crisis.

    * BELARUS -- IMF approved a $2.46 billion financial rescue package for
    Belarus on Jan. 12, 2009. Belarus has already received the first $788
    million tranche and the rest is to be released over the next 14 months.

    * EL SALVADOR -- IMF gave final approval to an $800 million loan
    for El Salvador on Jan. 16, 2009, but said the country did not face
    immediate balance of payments needs and would not draw on the funds.

    * HUNGARY -- The IMF, the EU and World Bank agreed a $25.1 billion
    economic rescue package for Hungary last November in the biggest loan
    for an emerging market economy since the global crisis began.

    -- Hungary turned to the IMF after its big budget deficit and heavy
    dependence on foreign borrowing spooked investors when the global
    crisis intensified, sparking a run on its forint currency.

    -- The IMF's conditions forced the government to make additional
    spending cuts, including in social spending and public sector wages,
    which had been regarded as taboo so far.

    * ICELAND -- IMF approved a $2.1 billion loan for Iceland on Nov. 19,
    2008 after weeks of delays due to wrangling between Iceland and some
    European nations. Iceland's major banks and currency had collapsed
    under the weight of billions of dollars of debt accumulated in an
    aggressive overseas expansion into financial services.

    -- The IMF deal was complemented by more than $3 billion in loans from
    Nordic countries, Russia and Poland as well as close to $5 billion
    or more by Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, making the whole
    package worth about $10 billion.

    -- Analysts have praised the new coalition government under Johanna
    Sigurdardottir -- the previous centre-right coalition under Geir Haarde
    became the first to fall as a direct result of the global crisis --
    for sticking to the programme agreed with the IMF.

    * LATVIA -- The four-party coalition government collapsed on Friday
    and the prime minister stepped down adding to the country's economic
    problems. The country had to take a 7.5 billion euro ($9.43 billion)
    IMF-led rescue loan in 2008. The 7.5 billion euro package included
    financing from the EU, Nordic countries, the Czech Republic, Poland,
    fellow Baltic state Estonia and the World Bank. The IMF share was
    1.68 billion euro.

    * MALAWI -- The IMF said on Dec. 3, 2008 it approved a $77.1 million
    to help Malawi reduce the impact of high fuel and fertilizer costs.

    -- The IMF estimated that higher global prices of oil, fertilizers
    and other imported goods in 2008 cut Malawi's trade balance by about
    $156 million.

    * PAKISTAN -- Will look to secure additional funding from IMF when
    they hold talks in April. The IMF approved of a loan of $7.6 billion
    on Nov. 24, 2008 to avert a balance of payments crisis and prevent
    the government defaulting on its international debt obligations.

    -- Pakistan got immediate access to the $3.1 billion under the 23-month
    facility with the rest to be phased in subject to quarterly review.

    * SERBIA -- Expects to conclude a 2 billion euro ($2.52 billion)
    loan with IMF by April as it looks to renegotiate a new stand-by
    loan. IMF already approved a 402.5 million euro ($530.3 million)
    loan on Jan 16, 2009.

    -- The terms of the agreement require that Serbia cut its budget
    deficit to 1.75 percent of GDP in 2009, from 2.7 percent in 2008.

    * SEYCHELLES -- IMF agreed a two-year $26 million rescue package on
    Nov. 14, 2008 for the Seychelles, whose foreign debt was valued at
    $800 million. Initially the country will receive $9.1 million. The
    package is dependent on economic reforms.

    * SRI LANKA -- Seeking a stand-by arrangement from the IMF which
    amounts to approximately $1.9 billion. With the economy under pressure
    because of shrinking export earnings, foreign currency reserves dropped
    by half in the last four months of 2008 as the central bank defended
    the currency.

    * TURKEY -- Has been locked in negotiations with the IMF on a loan
    deal to reinforce state finances, but talks were suspended last month
    after the two sides failed to resolve their differences. The IMF had
    opposed tax cut plans in Turkey in the past, saying this would hurt
    fragile public finances. Markets expected a deal around $25 billion,
    which would make it the biggest loan request in Turkey's history.

    * UKRAINE -- The IMF approved a $16.5 billion loan package on Nov. 6,
    2008 to help it withstand the financial crisis. The budget deficit
    is at the centre of unresolved talks with the IMF as the central
    bank is running out of the first $4.5 billion IMF tranche. The IMF
    suspended the release of the second, worth about $1.84 billion, over
    a number of differences, including the size of the deficit and a lack
    of political unity to battle the economic crisis that has gripped the
    country. (Writing by Carl Bagh and David Cutler, Editorial Reference
    Units in Bangalore and London; Additional writing by Jijo Jacob;
    Editing by Toby Chopra)

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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