The author-a top decision maker at the IMF for two decades-first focuses on the system of quotas and voting power in the IMF and concludes that it calls for reforms to enhance equity among the membership. He then examines decision making in the Executive Board, with an emphasis on consensus...

On May 21, 2008, the Executive Board discussed the report of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) on 'Aspects of IMF Corporate Governance - Including the Role of the Executive Board'. The Joint Statement issued by the Executive Board and the Managing Director following the Board discussion...

This paper reviews progress under the Fund's strengthened cooperative strategy on overdue financial obligations. Since the last review, total arrears to the Fund declined by SDR 17.5 million to SDR 1,309.5 million. Payments to the Fund by Sudan and Zimbabwe were in excess of new obligations...

In the discussion of the Board work program on June 3, 2013, it was urged that the Fund be more present in current discussions of international tax issues. This note reviews key issues and initiatives in this area, and sets out a work plan that is focused on the Fund's mandate and macroeconomic...

This paper summarizes the theory and empirical evidence on the determinants of foreign direct investment. These determinants include expected relative rates of return, risk diversification, market size, technological advantage, market failure, oligopolistic rivalry, liquidity, currency strength,...

By definition, fiscal dominance impedes the effective implementation of any monetary strategy aimed at controlling inflation. Economies that exhibit oil dominance-a situation in which oil exports largely affect the main macroeconomic indicators-may also exhibit fiscal dominance. However, in this...

A short-run macroeconomic model is estimated for Venezuela, in order to examine the hypothesis that the availability of oil resources may entail a confidence effect—on perceived future incomes—that influences the expenditure and portfolio behavior of economic agents. Such confidence effect...

This Technical Assistance (TA) Report on the Philippines discusses the fiscal regime for the mining sector. The Philippines has long been a producer of minerals, but the mining and petroleum sectors account for only a small share of the economy, exports, and government revenue. The petroleum...

This paper examines the fiscal responses of oil-producing countries (OPCs) to the oil boom through 2005 and the role of special fiscal institutions (SFIs)-oil funds, fiscal rules and fiscal responsibility legislation (FRL), and budgetary oil prices-in fiscal management in OPCs, and draws some...