IMF cautions renewed social unrest possible amid pandemic

The economic stresses caused by the global coronavirus pandemic could spark an outbreak of protests, the International Monetary Fund warned on Wednesday, urging governments to take steps to prevent unrest.

The IMF cautioned that "some countries remain vulnerable to new protests, particularly if policy actions to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis are perceived as insufficient or as unfairly favoring large corporates rather than people."
In its semi-annual Fiscal Monitor report, the IMF said protests are "more likely in countries with histories of widespread corruption, lack of transparency in public policy, and poor service delivery."
In Ecuador, Haiti and Iran, the protests were over hikes in fuel prices; in France, pension reforms and planned fuel tax increases. In Chile, "a small increase in public transport fares sparked social protests on much broader issues."
But Gaspar called the pandemic a "temporary disturbance" and while authorities will need to wind down the measures once the crisis has passed, "countries have faced this type of difficulties in the past many times in the context of wars, and they have managed this type of challenges, quite aptly."