An effort to mobilize SDR 11 billion in additional Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) loan resources is underway to sustain the Fund's concessional lending operations over the medium term. SDR 9.4 billion in new loan resources have been secured to date and negotiations with remaining...

The Fund, as Trustee of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT or Trust), has entered into a new borrowing agreement (the 'Agreement') with the Banque de France (hereafter France), effective on February 1, 2018. This new borrowing agreement with France provides new resources to the...

This paper is the fourth in a series that examines macroeconomic developments and prospects in Low Income Developing Countries (LIDCs). LIDCs are Fund member countries where gross national income (GNI) per capita lies below a threshold level and where external financial linkages and...

Trade integration can play a much larger role in boosting shared prosperity. The current focus on trade tensions threatens to obscure the great untapped benefits possible from further trade reform. The opportunities provided by information technology and other fundamental changes in the global...

Diversification of the GCC economies, supported by greater openness to trade and higher foreign investment, can have a large impact on growth. Such measures can support higher, sustained, and more inclusive growth by improving the allocation of resources across sectors and producers, creating...

In the past 25 years, exports have contributed strongly to growth and economic convergence in many small open economies. However, the Western Balkan (WB) region, consisting of small emerging market economies, has not fully availed itself of this driver of growth and convergence. A lack of...

This paper proposes to postpone the deadline for the next interest rate review by six months in light of the timing of the second stage of the Low-Income Countries (LIC) Facilities Review, and to maintain the zero percent interest rates applicable to ECF, SCF and ESF balances for this period

This paper reviews the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) interest rate structure for the period July 2019-June 2021. Since the interest rate mechanism was first established in 2009, no interest has been charged on PRGT credit. In line with the package of reforms proposed in the parallel...

Pacific island countries face unique challenges to realizing their growth potential and raising living standards. This book discusses ongoing challenges facing Pacific island countries and policy options to address them. Regional cooperation and solutions tailored to their unique challenges, as...

We investigate the nexus of public and private investment and assess the impact of both types of investment on growth. Using annual data for 1965-2005, we employ a coherent set of structural VAR outputs to model investment and growth in Benin. We find that in addition to institutional and...