International Monetary Fund (IMF)
IMF backs gold
US - A senior IMF official has made a statement about gold that in the view of experts is the first of any significance made since the Board's discussion of this subject in 1995.
IMF deal forbids Russian bank gold sales
RUSSIA - Russia's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would forbid Moscow from selling gold from central bank reserves, even to help in emergencies, a government source said on 25 May.
State Duma passes IMF package on its third reading
RUSSIA - The Russian State Duma has passed upon its third and final reading a package of bills initiated by the International Monetary Fund to restructure the Russian banking system.
Israel central bank head urges more market change
ISRAEL - Bank of Israel Governor David Klein urged the government on 17 May to resume the process of making structural changes in Israel's financial markets so that the country could better compete in the global economy.
Turkey gains $8bn loan from IMF
TURKEY - In a meeting lasting more than five hours, the IMF board decided to give $8bn in new loans for Turkey and it will release $3.8bn of it immediately.
Sri Lanka agrees on tight monetary policy with IMF
SRI LANKA - Sri Lanka toed the line of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 15 May and agreed that a tight monetary policy would be best to support the newly floated rupee and help achieve economic stability.
IMF urges Gulf states to open up
BAHRAIN - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the Persian Gulf Arab states to end subsidies and open up to foreign investment.
IMF will lose a third senior official
WASHINGTON - Jack Boorman is planning to leave the IMF, probably later this year. Fund officials were quick to stress that Mr Boorman had been at the IMF for 25 years and that his leaving was not a shock.
IMF Concludes Article IV with South Africa
SOUTH AFRICA - On 19 March 2001, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund concluded the Article IV consultation with South Africa.
Yugoslavia re-admitted to World Bank after 8 years
YUGOSLAVIA - Yugoslavia rejoined the World Bank on 8 May, eight years after being expelled for its involvement in Balkan wars, noting that the move paves the way for future loans to help the impoverished country's economic recovery.
Main comments from ECB's Issing speech
SPEECH - Edited highlights of a speech by Otmar Issing, chief economist of the European Central Bank, at a business seminar in London on May 3.
Rate to be cut before inflation hits target
REPORT - A poll showed that the biggest group of economists still believes the ECB will cut its benchmark rate from 4.75 percent next month even though inflation is heading up, not down.
China CBank criticises IMF supervision remit
Speaking at the IMF/World Bank meetings, Li Ruogu, vice-governor of the People's Bank of China argued that the IMF's supervision remit should not include anti-money-laundering
London set for May-day monopoly mayhem
LONDON - Anti-capitalist demonstrators are preparing to target offices of the IMF and World Bank in London in riots planned for Tuesday, May 1.
IMF Establish Joint Regional Training Centre
EUROPE - The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Horst Kohler, and the Minister of Finance for Brazil, Pedro Sampaio Malan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Joint Regional Training Center for Latin America (BTC)…
Argentine plan approved by finance leaders
ARGENTINA - Argentina's Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo was in Washington over the weekend of 28-29 Apr to attend the Spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. He outlined what he proposes to do to put Argentina back on track to…
IMF reinvents itself - latest
At their Spring annual meetings in Washington DC, the IMF has released a paper "The IMF in the Process of Change" on the Fund's progress in reinventing itself as a financial sector crisis manager.
Germany cuts growth forecast
GERMANY - The German government has joined its European neighbours by slashing its growth forecasts. Economic expansion in Europe's largest economy is expected to be only 2% in 2001, 0.75% less than previously forecast.
UK growth hit by global slowdown
UK - Fears of a sharp slowdown in the British economy have grown after official figures showed output was weaker than expected in the first three months of the year.
IMF's Koehler says he didn't intend to pressure EC
GERMANY - International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler said he had never intended to put pressure on the European Central Bank to cut rates, but reiterated that a cut would help world and European growth.
IMF urges Indonesia to maintain tight mon policy
INDONESIA - An IMF official has suggested that Bank Indonesia should be more flexible in adopting tight monetary, which is aimed at curbing the inflation and reducing pressure on the rupiah.
New Kenya cbank governor to focus on inflation
KENYA - Kenya's new central bank governor said on Apr 24 the bank's focus would remain on controlling inflation and addressing supply side constraints hindering economic growth.
Britain will escape global slowdown
UK - Details revealed in a leaked IMF report suggest that Britain will escape the worst of the global economic slowdown and will fare better than its european rivals.
IMF consultation approves Canada inflation target
CANADA - The International Monetary Fund said in a statement following its annual article IV consultation that there appeared to be no compelling reason for the Bank of Canada to change its inflation target.