IMF extends debt service relief for 28 low-income countries

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a third tranche of grants for debt service relief for 28 of the Fund’s member countries under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT).

The approval is a follow up to two prior tranches approved on April 13, 2020 and October 2, 2020, respectively.

According to a statement by IMF, the relief will enable the disbursement of grants from the CCRT for payment of all eligible debt service falling due to the IMF from its poorest and most vulnerable members from April 14, 2021 to October 15, 2021, estimated at SDR 168 (US$238) million.

“This tranche of grants for debt service relief will continue to help free up scarce financial resources for vital emergency health, social, and economic support to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subject to the availability of sufficient resources in the CCRT, debt service relief could be provided for the remaining period through from October 16, 2021 to April 13, 2022 amounting to a total of about SDR 680 (US$964) million,” the statement added.

IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, had, in March 2020, launched a fundraising campaign to raise SDR 1 billion (US$1.4 billion) in grants for the CCRT.

This was to “enable the CCRT provide financial assistance for relief on debt service for up to a maximum of two years, while leaving the CCRT adequately funded for future needs. Thus far, donors have pledged contributions totaling about SDR 545 million (US$774 million), including from the European Union, the UK, Japan, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Singapore, China, Mexico, Philippines, Sweden, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and Malta,” the IMF statement said.

According to the statement, the Executive Directors welcomed the opportunity to consider the approval of grants under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) to support the third tranche of debt service relief for the Fund’s poorest and most vulnerable members.

IMF said that the directors “noted that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exact a severe human and economic toll on these countries and that the resources freed up by the first and second tranches of CCRT debt service relief had helped mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

“Directors agreed that the available resources and pledges are sufficient to finance the third tranche of debt service relief for the period from April 14 to October 15, 2021. Accordingly, they approved grant assistance under the CCRT for relief for 28 eligible members that have debt service falling due during this period.

“Directors concurred that countries that received the CCRT grants for debt relief are generally pursuing appropriate macroeconomic policies in response to the economic fallout from the global pandemic. They welcomed that a number of member countries were transitioning to Upper Credit Tranche-quality arrangements which would provide a stronger policy framework for the recovery period. Directors also observed that most countries would benefit from a resumption of Fund surveillance and updated debt sustainability assessments.”

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