George T. Abed, a Palestinian and a Jordanian national, took over this summer as Director of the IMF’s Middle Eastern Department. In his distinguished 20-year career at the IMF, he has worked on the Middle East and on fiscal policy issues worldwide. Outside the IMF, he taught at the University...

For many years, the IMF has tracked countries’ military spending. The IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department describes its most recent findings and also looks at patterns in military as well as poverty-reducing spending in countries with loans under the IMF’s concessional Poverty Reduction and...

Corporate profitability is a source of uncertainty in a generally positive global market outlook, IMF International Capital Markets Department Head and Counsellor Gerd Häusler said at a June 12 press conference. Summarizing the findings (see charts, pages 194–95) of the IMF’s second Global...

Leaders of the Group of Eight countries gathered in Kananaskis, Canada, June 26–27, for a summit that focused on terrorism, the global economy, and building a new partnership for Africa’s development. It was their first meeting since the terrorist attacks of September 11. It was announced...

To assist Argentina in its efforts to tackle an extremely difficult economic crisis and develop an effective recovery program, IMF Managing Director Horst Kohler announced the appointment of a panel of distinguished monetary policy advisors and IMF Executive Board approval of the country’s...

The Web edition of the IMF Survey is updated several times a week, and contains a wealth of articles about topical policy and economic issues in the news. Access the latest IMF research, read interviews, and listen to podcasts given by top IMF economists on important issues in the global...

The Web edition of the IMF Survey is updated several times a week, and contains a wealth of articles about topical policy and economic issues in the news. Access the latest IMF research, read interviews, and listen to podcasts given by top IMF economists on important issues in the global...

Stanley Fischer, IMF First Deputy Managing Director for the past seven years, stepped down from his position at the end of August. Fischer was appointed in 1994 to an initial five-year term and to a second term in 1999. He was previously the Killian Professor and head of the Department of...

The Web edition of the IMF Survey is updated several times a week, and contains a wealth of articles about topical policy and economic issues in the news. Access the latest IMF research, read interviews, and listen to podcasts given by top IMF economists on important issues in the global...

Improving market access for developing countries is one of the most important steps that rich countries can take in fighting global poverty, according to the chief economists of the World Bank and the IMF. Both institutions highlighted the issue during their recent Annual Meetings. Market access...