The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has played an increasingly important role in the delivery of international financial assistance to crisis countries on an emergency basis. The ability of the Fund to respond rapidly to crisis situations is a reflection of its ability to draw on a comprehensive set of financial instruments; this is supplemented by its ability to mobilize resources from the international financial community.
The IMFs main lending intention is to support countries during periods of economic and financial crisis by providing resources that enable them to address their balance of payments (BOP) problems while adhering to sound economic policies. In the case of the more developed countries, the help assists them in avoiding the attainment of debt burdens that may be difficult to sustain further down the road.
The IMF has two principle mechanisms through which support may be provided: quota-based lending and non-quota based lending. Quota-based loans refer to those where the IMF contributes funds to the financing requirements of Member countries in proportion to their share or quota in the Fund; such loans are available to all Member countries on track with their commitments and policies.
Non-quota based lending refers to those loans which are provided over-and-above a country’s quota contributions and which are accessible to both members and non-members of the Fund. The most important of these non-quota lending facilities is the emergency post-programme emergency financing. It is made available to help a Member country run into emergency financing difficulties in a short period immediately after a financial programme provided under a Stand-By Arrangement or similar arrangement (supported in full or in part by the IMF), when it is unable to access the private capital markets to meet its immediate needs.
The purpose of IMF emergency financing is to provide a country with additional liquidity when some or all of the conditions for regaining market access may not yet be in place, but the country faces an imminent balance of payments crisis. The IMF emergency financing is designed to provide a cushion which should help the country weather the storm and start to fulfill its financial obligations. IMF emergency financing usually takes the form of an Extended Fund Facility (EFF); this is a three-year loan facility which allows a borrowing country to draw up to 30-40 percent of its quotas. The EFF finances a country’s immediate balance of payments need and can also be used for the country’s longer-term structural reform program.
The Fund also provides special drawing rights (SDR) grants, another type of emergency financing. The aim of SDR grants is to help a Member country finance its balance of payments in times of financial stress. SDR grants are typically provided in addition to Fund resources and are typically used to help countries meet a variety of financial challenges, such as unexpected public expenditure. SDR grants can also be used to finance the purchase of essential goods and services, and to help restore balance of payments and exchange rate stability.
Finally, the Fund also provides emergency loans. These are short-term loans made in response to a crisis situation, typically when a Member country is unable to access the private capital markets and is facing an imminent balance of payments crisis. Emergency loans are usually shorter-term than other Fund credit, and are designed to be repaid within two to three years.
Overall, the IMFs emergency assistance has been critical in providing crisis countries with the resources and confidence to face their liquidity and balance of payments problems. By providing emergency financing in the form of loans, grants, SDRs and other financial instruments, the Fund is helping countries to restore their economic stability.