The review of the ESF is being accelerated in light of experience and worsening global economic conditions, in particular the surge in food and fuel prices. Despite having become effective in 2006, the ESF has yet to be used. Recent discussions with creditors, donors, potential users, and outside observers have highlighted a number of ways to enhance its effectiveness.

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, Directors noted that exogenous shocks could have significant negative impacts on developing countries' growth, macroeconomic stability, debt sustainability, and poverty, and that low-income countries are particularly vulnerable to shocks due to lack of diversification, limited capacity to build up reserves, and prohibitively expensive or unavailable market insurance. The international community can supplement national efforts for reducing vulnerability to shocks. Recent research shows that foreign assistance can be unusually effective in the aftermath of a shock. Such assistance needs to be available quickly, and it needs to be associated with sound adjustment policies and measures to reduce vulnerability to future shocks.

This paper assesses the adequacy of the Fund’s facilities and financing framework for low-income countries (LICs) and proposes reform options. It is part of a broader review of all Fund financial instruments and is timely given the pressure the current global financial crisis is putting on LICs. It builds on previous efforts to adapt the Fund’s toolkit to the evolving needs of its LIC members, including creation of the Policy Support Instrument (PSI) and the recent modification of the Exogenous Shocks Facility (ESF). This paper provides the basis for the first stage of the LIC-specific review, with a focus on: (i) gaps and overlaps in the facility architecture for LICs, (ii) design issues such as access, financing terms, and conditionality, and (iii) the concessional resource envelope and funding structure. Based on feedback from Executive Directors and further external consultation, more detailed reform proposals will be prepared in the second stage of the review. The Fund’s Facilities and Financing Framework for Low-Income Countries—Supplementary Information March 13, 2009

This paper puts forward a package of proposed decisions to implement the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (“MDRI”) and establish the Exogenous Shocks Facility within the PRGF Trust; it also provides a Commentary on key aspects of the decisions. The proposed decisions generally reflect the overall structure and modalities that have been identified by the staff and endorsed by Executive Directors in the several meetings held to date concerning the G-8 debt relief proposal/MDRI and ESF.

The ESF, established within the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and Exogenous Shocks Facility (PRGF-ESF) Trust, complements existing Fund instruments for providing timely support, including financing at more appropriate terms, to low-income members that are facing sudden and exogenous shocks but do not have a PRGF arrangement in place. In particular, the ESF: (i) facilitates quick access to more concessional financing than the Fund’s Emergency Assistance and the Compensatory Financing Facility (CFF);1 (ii) helps members design and implement a policy framework adequate for adjustment to shocks while ensuring adequate safeguards for the use of the Trust resources; and (iii) plays a catalytic role for further and more concessional donor financing.

"The review of the ESF is being accelerated in light of experience and worsening global economic conditions, in particular the surge in food and fuel prices. Despite having become effective in 2006, the ESF has yet to be used. Recent discussions with creditors, donors, potential users, and outside observers have highlighted a number of ways to enhance its effectiveness."--IMF information page summary.

This paper proposes a new facilities architecture for Low-Income Countries. It is based on "Option 2" set out in the framework paper discussed by the Executive Board on March 20, 2009. The new architecture provides a unified facilities framework for LICs under a new Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The facilities are distinguished primarily by the duration of the financing and adjustment needs and the conditionality standard.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram is assistant secretary general for economic development at the United Nations and research coordinator for the G24 Intergovernmental Group on International Monetary Affairs and Development. In 2007 he was awarded the Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought. --Book Jacket.

This paper provides a semi-annual review of the status of financing for Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility-Exogenous Shocks Facility (PRGF-ESF) lending, subsidization of emergency assistance to PRGF-eligible countries, and Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) debt relief. The last review was completed by the IMF Executive Board on April 21, 2008.

The paper proposes a doubling of access limits on concessional lending to ensure that the Fund can respond effectively to the needs of low-income countries (LICs) severely affected by the current world economic downturn. Pending adoption of broader reforms to the LIC facilities architecture, higher access limits under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and Exogenous Shocks Facility-High-Access Component (ESF-HAC) would give the Fund greater flexibility in assisting LICs, which have become more exposed to global volatility over time. A doubling of access limits would restore them to their 1998 levels in percent of GDP and would be consistent with the approach taken in determining new access limits for General Resources Account (GRA) resources. It would also be in line with the projected doubling of medium-term demand for concessional resources.