A European Union official visiting Lebanon said on Friday that the international body will increase its humanitarian assistance to the crisis-struck country, but that more significant long-term aid depends on reforms and a deal with the International Monetary Fund. EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said at a press conference following his two-day visit that the EU will provide 60 million euros (more than USD 65 million) in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in 2023, a 20 per cent increase from last year. But he warned that such aid is "not a sustainable long-term solution to the massive financial crisis that has left three-quarters of Lebanon's population of 6 million in poverty. To get out of the crisis, he said, Lebanon needs to elect a president -- which would resolve a presidential vacuum that has dragged on for five months - and to ink a deal with the IMF, which he said would unlock substantial financial support also from the European Union that should help .
Pakistan claimed that it received an indication from Saudi Arabia for additional loans that may help to break gridlock with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
New IMF loan raises questions
It is not a central player today as the world deals with inflation and financial instability and countries hurtle towards debt crisis. It must be revamped and strengthened to play that role
NK Singh, Larry Summers to head the expert group
Adding to a growing chorus of warnings from economic leaders, the IMF chief said it was clear that risks to financial stability had increased after the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank
The IMF predicted growth of 2.9 per cent this year, and will release new forecasts next month
Cash-strapped Pakistan has received a rollover of USD 2 billion in deposits for a period of one year from its all-weather ally China to help Islamabad get a much-required bailout from the IMF to stabilise its economy, a media report said on Friday. The rollover, which basically is not a loan but a financial deposit to be kept at Pakistan's central bank for a period of one year, is one of the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in meeting its external financing needs in order to move towards inking the staff-level agreement, The News International reported. Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar confirmed the development. Yes, Dar was quoted as saying in a brief response when asked about getting a rollover of USD 2 billion SAFE (State Administration of Foreign Exchange) deposits from China. Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the release of a USD 1.1 billion loan since February but so far without any success due to the tough conditions by the donor which Pakistan is
The meeting comes amid continued delays in securing debt treatment agreements for Zambia, Ghana, and Ethiopia that US officials and others blame on foot-dragging by China
Sri Lanka has received USD 330 million as the first tranche of the IMF bailout programme, which will pave the way for the debt-ridden country to achieve better "fiscal discipline" and "improved governance," according to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday approved a USD 3 billion bailout programme to help Sri Lanka overcome its economic crisis and catalyse financial support from other development partners, a move welcomed by Colombo as a "historic milestone" in the critical period. Sri Lanka has been hit hard by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis, sparked by years of mismanagement and the raging pandemic. The cash-strapped country has received the first tranche of USD 330 million of the IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Daily Mirror Lanka newspaper quoted state finance minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya as saying. "This sets the stage for the country to achieve better fiscal discipline and improved governance," President ...
The International Monetary Fund gave a grim assessment on Thursday of Lebanon's prospects for getting out of its deepening financial crisis, saying that without reforms, the country is headed for hyperinflation. Since late 2019, tiny Lebanon has fallen into the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by a political class that has ruled the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Three-quarters of Lebanon's population of over 6 million, including a million Syrian refugees, now lives in poverty and inflation is soaring. Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, the head of the IMF mission visiting Lebanon, said at a news conference on Thursday that continued inaction by Lebanese leaders would leave the nation in a never-ending crisis in which it could spiral into hyperinflation, affecting the quality of life of many Lebanese for years to come. The IMF visit came as progress towards finalizing a sorely needed IMF bailout package for the ...
President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament on Wednesday that the IMF bailout had restored Sri Lanka's international recognition, ending the image of bankruptcy and helping the local banks regain foreign investors' confidence. The IMF board had on Tuesday approved a USD 3 billion facility over a four-year period to help Sri Lanka emerge from its balance of payment crisis which plagued the island since April last year. Wickremesinghe said the bailout would create opportunities for low-interest credit, restore foreign investors' confidence, and lay the foundation for a strong new economy. The receipt of the IMF Facility is a step towards building a better future for the youth and uplifting the country. Additionally, the country is expecting about USD 7 billion dollars more in rapid credit support from other parties. Amidst numerous hardships, bearing all kinds of pressure, and undergoing suffering with equanimity, the people of this country remained calm and patient. Their commit
The program will be divided into two phases. In the first, lasting 12-18 months, Ukraine will take measures to strengthen fiscal, external, price and financial stability
The IMF has approved a nearly $3-billion bailout which could help the country unlock up to $7 billion more from other lenders
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The International Monetary Fund on Monday approved USD 3 billion in financial assistance to debt-ridden Sri Lanka to help it immediately overcome its economic crisis. IMF's Executive Board approved on Monday a 48-month extended arrangement under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with an amount of SDR 2.286 billion (395 per cent of quota or about USD 3 billion), according to a statement. Special Drawing Rights (SDR) are supplementary foreign exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sri Lanka has been hit hard by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis. The economy is facing significant challenges stemming from pre-existing vulnerabilities and policy missteps in the lead up to the crisis, further aggravated by a series of external shocks, the IMF said. The EFF-supported programme aims to restore Sri Lanka's macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability, mitigate the economic impact on the poor and vulnerable, safeguard financi
The nation's dollar bonds have returned 20 per cent this year, the top performers
The IMF on Monday rubbished claims that it has attached nuclear-programme-related strings for the revival of Pakistan's much-anticipated bailout programme that has been stalled for months, a media report said. Cash-strapped Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed USD 1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was originally due to be disbursed in November last year. The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations. Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves enough to shore up for barely one month's imports. Esther Perez Ruiz, IMF's resident representative in Islamabad, has denied attaching any strings to the External Fund Facility (EFF), according to Geo TV. Regarding recent speculation th
IMF resident representative in Islamabad Esther Perez Ruiz denied attaching any strings to the External Fund Facility (EFF), Geo News reported
The IMF package will include budgetary support to Sri Lanka's government, which is a new element in IMF lending, he added