International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Purpose of IMF
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international financial institution that promotes economic cooperation among the member countries for ensuring rapid economic development throughout the world. Discover more about IMF and its purpose...

IMF and World Bank: Differences
The World Bank and the IMF or International Monetary Fund are inter-governmental support institutions which work to improve the world financial order. The World Bank is a lending institution, whereas the IMF is a cooperative institution. To know about the major differences between the two institutions, read on...

History of IMF (International Monetary Fund)
IMF or International Monetary Fund is an international organization created in 1945 to supervise global economic affairs, to give financial advice and aid to its member countries. Read on for more information about the history of IMF.

Sri Lanka Imf Loan to Go Ahead Despite International Pressure
UN security council refuses to withhold $1.9bn funding as 'unnecessary punishment' for Colombo government

IMF Under Pressure to Delay Sri Lanka's $1.9bn Aid Loan
President Rajapaksa describes military offensive as 'humanitarian' and rejects calls for ceasefire

Can the Imf Now Feed the World?
It is once again a major force, but given its recent track record, will its policies do more harm than good? Heather Stewart reports from Washington

Global Bank Losses of $4.1 Trillion, Says Imf
In its first study of the effect on financial institutions since the credit crunch began, the IMF estimate massive writedowns, with the US losing $2.7 trillion

Concern Grows on Powerful Role for Imf
International Monetary Fund given key part in lending to countries worst affected by credit crunch

IMF Emergency Fund is Doubled to $500bn in Global Rescue Effort
The EU's senior leaders agree to an increase in bid to prevent world recession turning into full scale depression

Britain Faces Worst Year Since 1930s, Warns Imf
UK economy will be at bottom of league table of major developed countries this year, report says

Cameron: Britain May Have to Seek Imf Bail-out
Conservative leader's comments likely to provoke labor charges that he is running down the economy

IMF Chief Warns of 'even Darker' Times Unless Governments Spend More
Dominique Strauss-Kahn advises other countries to follow British example of fiscal stimulus

IMF Chief Issues Stark Warning on Economic Crisis
Dominique Strauss-Kahn urged governments to step up action to stem the global economic crisis or risk delaying a recovery and sparking violent unrest

Brown Looks to China to Strengthen Imf's Hand
Gulf states also urged to contribute to economic rescue fund to ensure it can help struggling economies

Global Economy Talks Call for Greater Role for Imf
World leaders suggest larger role for international financial institution to help fight world economic downturn

Pakistan Takes $5bn Imf Bail-out After Allies Refuse Funds
Pakistan agree to economic reforms as finance minister describes bail-out as 'plan C'

IMF Shaken By Probe Into Chief's Affair
French economist under investigation for alleged abuse of position through sexual liaison with senior official

IMF Prepares $200bn Fund to Shore Up Stricken States
Board is 'ready to answer any call' for bail-outs as Alistair Darling urges G7 partners to follow Britain's lead

IMF Says Us Crisis is 'largest Financial Shock Since Great Depression'
Fund says there is now a one-in-four chance of a full-blown global recession over the next 12 months

IMF: Global Economy Caught Between Slowdown and Inflation
Dominique Strauss-Kahn says policymakers grappling with 'ice and fire' and there is no one-size-fits-all response to biggest financial crisis since 1930s

We Are in the Worst Financial Crisis Since Depression, Says Imf
Governments will have to pay for more bailouts, says Fund as it slashes growth forecasts

IMF Makes Gloomy Forecast for Uk Economy
Alistair Darling's prediction that Britain will bounce back from the credit crunch by next year looks hopelessly optimistic

IMF Cuts Global Economic Growth Projections
The International Monetary Fund last night cut its forecast for global growth this year as it warned of a possible chain reaction from the six-month-old credit crunch rippling through the global economy

Iraq's Economic Future Looks Bright, Says Imf
Oil output could rise by 7% if country remains stable· News comes as 10 Shias killed by suicide bomber

IMF Counters Claims of Western Dominance With Promise to Give Poor More Votes
The International Monetary Fund yesterday sought to respond to anger in developing countries at the institution's dominance by rich western nations by promising an increase in voting rights for the world's poorest nations.

IMF Chief in Shock Resignation
The future of the International Monetary Fund was thrown into confusion today after the surprise resignation of its managing director, Rodrigo de Rato, which could lead to a shake-up of the selection process for his successor.

Venezuela Quits Imf and World Bank
The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, today severed relations with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

UK Opposes Plan for Developing Nations to Have More Say at Imf
Move for voting rights to reflect world prices - Shift would raise relative size of poorer countries

Brown Calls for Overhaul of Un, World Bank and Imf
Urgent and far-reaching reform of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the G7 is needed to make old-fashioned international institutions fit to cope with the "seismic shifts" of globalisation, Gordon Brown said today.

IMF: China Leading World Economic Upturn
The global economy is on course for its best four-year performance since the early 1970s after battling through strong headwinds during 2006, the International Monetary IMF said today.

Don't Be Fooled By This Reform: the Imf is Still the Rich World's Viceroy
What will be passed off as a democratisation is in fact a way of ensuring the poor global majority continue to have no say. By George Monbiot

Britain Off the List When Imf Assembles the New World Order
High-level talks on global trade problems show the irrelevance of the G8 , says Heather Stewart.

Benn Calls for Reform of World Bank and Imf
The international development secretary, Hilary Benn, has called on Europe and the United States to relinquish their hold on the presidencies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

IMF Warns Pakistan Of Post-Quake Budgetary Challenges
Although the international community is providing assistance, Pakistan is bound to face an unavoidable widening of its budget deficit.

IMF Loan Hopes Boost Argentina
Hopes that the recent truce between Argentina and the International Monetary Fund would be sealed with the release of a further $3.1bn (£1.7bn) loan from the Washington-based lender pushed share prices in Buenos Aires to record highs for the second trading day in a row yesterday. The...

Argentina and Imf in Duel Over $3.1bn Loan
Argentina was last night on a collision course with the International Monetary Fund after the heavily indebted Latin American country signalled it was preparing to default on a $3.1bn (£1.7bn) payment to the Washington-based lender. In the biggest trial of strength between the fund...

Argentina's $12bn Deal Splits Imf
Bailout raises fears that other nations will be encouraged to default. Divisions appeared within the International Monetary Fund at the weekend as it emerged that four members of the 24-strong board refused to approve its controversial $12.55bn (£7.7bn) bailout of Argentina.

IMF warns trade gap could bring down dollar
The International Monetary Fund yesterday warned that the colossal United States trade deficit was a noose around the neck of the economy, emphasising that the once mighty dollar could collapse at any moment.

IMF Strikes Positive Note
The International Monetary Fund yesterday added its voice to optimism about the prospects for the global economy, saying rock-bottom interest rates and the "remarkable resilience" of financial markets had left firms poised to invest.

The Imf is a Poisoned Chalice
Wherever it is prescribed, a dose of IMF medicine only compounds economic crisis. For how much longer should we give those who run the global economy the benefit of the doubt? The International Monetary Fund has made the same "mistake" so many times that only one explanation appears to remain: it is an engineering disaster.

IMF warns of threats to economic recovery
Financial uncertainly could persist and undermine a fragile economic recovery even if the war in Iraq is over quickly, the International Monetary Fund warned today.

Argentina Agrees Imf Plan
Argentina today moved closer to mending fences with international creditors after accepting the International Monetary Fund's conditions for renewed aid. An agreement would end a year-long rupture between Argentina and the IMF, which cut off billions of dollars in funding in late 2001....

IMF opposes rate cuts
The International Monetary Fund last night signalled its opposition to lower interest rates in Britain and warned that the Bank of England would have to push up borrowing costs if the boom in house prices continued.

IMF even less confident than two days ago
The International Monetary Fund has cut its estimates of growth in the world's major economies for this year and next, raising expectations of a concerted round of interest rate cuts.

World Bank and Imf Reform Vital to End Poverty, Says Un
Global progress on reducing poverty has slowed to a "snail's pace" and the international goal of halving the share of the world's population living on less than $1 (63p) a day by 2015 is likely to be missed, the United Nations will warn today. In its annual survey, which has become the...

IMF Rescue Plan Causes Fistfight Among Argentinian Deputies
A fistfight erupted in Argentina's congress late on Thursday over the government's efforts to push through reforms to the country's bankruptcy laws demanded by the International Monetary Fund. Deputies accused President Eduardo Duhalde of kowtowing to the Fund in his efforts to obtain a...

IMF Sheds No Tears for Argentina
The seven leading industrialised countries have announced an end to the increasingly large international bailouts needed to rescue countries which have got into difficulties with their creditors.