Countries where social and political institutions stimulate interpersonal trust, civic cooperation, and social cohesiveness tend to have more efficient governments, better governance systems, and faster growth. This paper provides cross-country evidence, based on a sample of developing and...

The IMF Working Papers series is designed to make IMF staff research available to a wide audience. Almost 300 Working Papers are released each year, covering a wide range of theoretical and analytical topics, including balance of payments, monetary and fiscal issues, global liquidity, and...

On March 22, 2017, the Executive Board adopted the Guidelines for Investing PRG, PRG-HIPC, and CCR Trust Assets (the 'Guidelines') to establish the investment objectives and policies to guide the investment of assets of the PRG, PRG-HIPC, and CCR Trusts (the'Trusts') which are available for...

On July 17, 2017, the Fund, as Trustee of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT or Trust), entered into a new borrowing agreement (the 'Agreement') with the Bank of Italy (hereafter, Italy or Purchaser), by which Italy will provide new resources to the Extended Credit Facility Loan...

This paper reviews the interest rate structure that would apply to the PRGT in 2017-18. Based on the interest rate setting mechanism agreed in 2009, the interest rate for the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) would be zero and the rate for the Standby Credit Facility (SCF) would be 0.25 percent....

Guidelines for Investing PRG, PRG-HIPC, and CCR Trust Assets (the "Guidelines"), which were adopted on March 22, 2017, were further amended on January 12, 2022, by the Executive Board of the IMF. The Guidelines establish the investment objectives and policies to guide the investment of assets of...

At the recent Board discussion on strengthening the Fund's assistance to low-income countries dealing with sudden and exogenous shocks, most Directors supported the establishment of an Exogenous Shocks Facility within the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Trust. In an earlier discussion,...

On April 18, 2011, the Fund, as Trustee of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), entered into a borrowing agreement (the 'Agreement') with the Bank of Italy, by which Italy will provide new loan resources of up to SDR 800 million (see attachment). With this Agreement, the Fund has...

In recent months, a number of Directors have expressed support in the Executive Board for a further extension of the temporary exceptional interest waiver on concessional lending. An extension would send a signal of the Fund's continued support for Low-Income Countries at a time when the global...

Effective November 12, 2012, the Fund, as Trustee of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT), entered into a borrowing agreement (the 'Agreement') with the National Bank of Belgium, by which Belgium will provide new loan resources of up to SDR 350 million (see attachment). With this...