This letter provides an assessment of recent macroeconomic developments in Benin and an update on the discussions of Fund staff with the Beninese authorities on macroeconomic policies and structural reforms that could form the basis for the authorities' request for a new arrangement supported by...

This short paper informs the Executive Board of staff's assessment of macroeconomic and public financial management capacity (henceforth 'capacity') in PRGT-eligible countries (henceforth 'low-income countries') with Fund-supported programs for the purpose of setting debt limits. Capacity plays...

The paper examines the case for contingent financial instruments for low-income countries (LICs), from both the market and official sector. These include commodity price hedging instruments, contingent debt instruments (commodity-linked bonds, deferred repayment loans), and natural disaster...

This report aims to accomplish three objectives: (a) it provides an update on the status of implementation, impact, and costs of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI); (b) it proposes a modification of the reporting of progress...

Lower-than-expected demand over the recent past has raised the lending capacity of the PRGT for the years 2012-14. Staff's latest projections suggest PRGT demand in 2011 could be about SDR 1.4 billion, up from SDR 1.2 billion in 2010. Assuming the 2009 LIC financing package is completed, these...

This paper updates the status of implementation, impact, and costs of the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). Debt relief provided under the Initiatives has substantially alleviated debt burdens in recipient countries....

The Bank-Fund Debt Sustainability Framework (DSF) is a standardized framework for analyzing debt-related vulnerabilities in low-income countries (LICs). It aims to help countries monitor their debt burden and take early preventive action, to provide guidance to creditors in ensuring their...

This report provides an update on the status of implementation, impact, and costs of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). Debt relief provided under the Initiatives has substantially alleviated debt burdens in recipient...

This paper updates the quota data base through 2008 and discusses implications for members' calculated quota shares. A subsequent staff paper will review key issues related to the realignment of quota shares and present additional illustrative simulations, for discussion by the Committee of the...

The emergence of BRICs-Brazil, Russia, India, and China-is reshaping low-income countries' (LICs) international economic relations. While industrial countries remain LICs' dominant development partners, LIC-BRIC ties have increased so rapidly over the past decade that BRICs have become new...