The number of pundits up in arms over the IMF’s handling of the crisis in Argentina continues to mount. The most recent selection includes Brazilian President, Henrique Cardoso, and ex-World Bank Chief Economist, Joseph Stiglitz.
Conditionality impacts
Conditionality
News
Limitations of Asian PRSPs revealed
Asian NGOs recently commented on the problems they face with PRSP processes in their region. A Focus on the Global South study questions achievements in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam while Bangladeshi organisations have mounted a challenge to the process in their country. See also:
Social services
News
Ghanaians contest Bank-backed water privatisation
A broad coalition of organisations is challenging the plan to privatise Ghana’s water system. They complain that the World Bank and IMF-promoted scheme will not extend services to poorer people or ensure fair pricing. The deal - which the IMF has just made part of its new conditions for Ghana - reflects the biases of the consultants which drew it up at a cost of $3million.
Conditionality
News
IMF “fun” with Argentina
The Nigerian government has cancelled its IMF programme. IMF spokesperson tests Argentinians’ sense of humour by agreeing that mistakes may be made again in the future. He explained: “that is economics. And that is why it is so much fun”.
Land
News
Brown’s “New Deal” suggests enhanced Bank, Fund roles
Gordon Brown’s recent speeches on a “New Deal” for the global economy have been generally welcomed, especially for their suggestions that aid budgets should be increased.
Infrastructure
News
Bank plans private sector shake-up
In February the World Bank’s Board will consider a new Private Sector Development Strategy.
Conditionality
Analysis
Bank and Fund watchers must watch WTO
As the World Bank and the IMF inch closer towards streamlining their policies with those of the WTO, and vice-versa, a Bretton Woods Briefing discusses why Bank and Fund watchers should keep a close eye on the WTO negotiations (November 2001) .
Conditionality
News
Ownership friendly conditionality
A new IMF paper proposes changes to current methods of applying conditionality.
Conditionality
News
Ghana PRS has “potential”
An assessment of Ghana’s Poverty Reduction Strategy process (GPRS) suggests there is much potential for formulating, in a participatory manner, an effective poverty reduction strategy.
Conditionality
News
Bank rejects adjustment findings
Initial findings of a review of adjustment policies by government, WB and civil society were presented to Bank management in Washington DC in July.
Featured briefings
12 December 2024
The Bretton Woods Observer: Winter 2024
12 December 2024
Missing in action: accountability is noticeably absent from the World Bank Group’s new Corporate Scorecard
The Corporate Scorecard’s accountability gap is symptomatic of a broader failure on the part of the WBG to fully internalise, integrate and learn from the work of its accountability mechanisms.
16 October 2024