SAPs/PRSPsBank and Fund structural adjustment programmes (SAP's) often required dramatic reform of a borrowing country's economic policy. The successor to SAPs, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSPs) set out a country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies to promote growth and reduce poverty. These comprehensive strategies for reform are necessary for World Bank loans or lending by the fund under the poverty reduction and growth facility (PRGF). Includes: conditionality, structural adjustment lending, Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (SAPRIN), Poverty and Social Impact Assessment (PSIA), PRGF, letters of intent read more... BriefingsThe World Bank, the IFC and the antecedents of the financial crisisThe financial crisis seemed to come out of the blue, but Paulo dos Santos of the University of London argues that the ground was laid by financial sector privatisation, liberalisation and deregulation. Far from these trends being confined to the rich world, the World Bank and the IFC have played a key role in pushing these policies throughout emerging markets, exposing them to the fallout of the financial crisis. read article... Africa and the making of adjustment How economists hijacked the Bank's agendaDevelopment economist and professor of African studies Howard Stein examines the evolution of policy in the Bank, focusing on how economists became hegemonic. In this essay he details the origin of structural adjustment, tracing its roots back to a set of neoliberal economists who gained influence at the Bank in the late 1970s. read article... The IMF's regressive secret Tax policy advice and its distributional impactWhile tax policy and reform is an election battleground in developed countries, the IMF has increasingly turned it into a secret technocratic exercise in developing countries. This briefing examines the IMF's involvement in providing advice on tax policy, particularly its recommendations for the imposition of value added taxes (VATs). read article... Items 1 to 10 of 311The World Bank, the IFC and the antecedents of the financial crisisThe financial crisis seemed to come out of the blue, but Paulo dos Santos of the University of London argues that the ground was laid by financial sector privatisation, liberalisation and deregulation. Far from these trends being confined to the rich world, the World Bank and the IFC have played a key role in pushing these policies throughout emerging markets, exposing them to the fallout of the financial crisis. read article... World Bank's aid allocation may undermine growthWhereas under SAPs of the 1990s loans were given in return for agreements to implement policy reform, now they are disbursed conditionally on the reforms already achieved. An article in Development Viewpoint by Elisa Van Waeyenberge examines the World Bank's altered conditionality procedures: read article... New international economic architecture No shortage of blueprintsThe financial and economic crises have brought out a plethora of ideas for reforming the international financial architecture. Below, we highlight a few of the many different blueprints. read article... Awash with cash or hard up? IFIs face increasing demands on their resourcesAs economies slump across the world, the World Bank and the IMF are looking to pump out cash, but while the Bank´s resources are expanding, there are questions about whether the IMF has enough. read article... Back from the dead IMF pumps out loans and conditionalityA few months ago pundits were calling time on the Fund, but the financial crisis' impact on emerging markets has brought it roaring back to life, with its usual dose of austerity and conditionality. read article... World Bank-IMF annual meetings 2008At this year's annual meetings, the focus will of course be on the financial crisis gripping the rich countries of the world. Questions remain as to whether important issues around the World Banks role in climate change and its even governance structure will get the attention they deserve. read article... Combating tax flight: ending evasion and reducing avoidance Seminar at World Bank, 10 October 2008Norway, Germany, IMF, WOrld Bank and experts discuss tackling tax evasion and capital flight. read article... Civil society letter on IMF review of lending instruments, facilities, and policies Call to end the PRGFA letter to IMF EDs and finance ministers about the need to rethink the IMF's role in low-income countries and end the PRGF. It is a global sign-on letter. read article... Africa and the making of adjustment How economists hijacked the Bank's agendaDevelopment economist and professor of African studies Howard Stein examines the evolution of policy in the Bank, focusing on how economists became hegemonic. In this essay he details the origin of structural adjustment, tracing its roots back to a set of neoliberal economists who gained influence at the Bank in the late 1970s. read article... World Bank legitimising illegal Israeli occupation of West BankThe Bank's approach to development in Palestine hinges on the full acceptance of the status quo - e.g. continued occupation and the presence of the settlements and the wall - as well as joint projects that impose PNA-Israeli cooperation, often with a third international partner. Politically, these development projects threaten to legitimise Israeli claims in regards to the wall, Jerusalem, land annexation and settlements that have resulted in the fragmentation and ghettoisation of the West Bank and Gaza. read article... |
Articles: 2357 Related itemsEvents
ResourcesLending selectivity by the World Bank 24 November Hungary letter of intent 10 November La Banque Mondiale legitime l'occupation israelienne illegale de la Cisjordanie 1 October Proposed reforms to the Exogenous Shocks Facility 19 September The PRGF and fiscal space in Africa 15 September NGO advocacy letter on the IMF's Exogenous Shocks Facility 29 August Response to the IMF by TB study authors 25 July Reply to "IMF programmes and tuberculosis outcomes in post-communist countries" 23 July IMF programmes and tuberculosis outcomes in post-communist countries 22 July Newswire |
home | subscribe | donate | search | help | contact
RSS.91: highlights | newswire |
validate: | XHTML | CSS | RSS | 508
powered by Action Apps | hosted by GreenNet | Credits
