18 July 2008
The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week.
African Development Bank:
Gambia rates AfDB performance below expectation, July 16, 2008 (Afriquenligne website) - Gambia's Permanent Secretary for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mot Secka, has disclosed that despite the welcoming signals from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the performance rate in the implementation of the current bank's portfolio has been below expectation.
Asian Development Bank:
Asian Bank likely to finance project for water resource management, July 13, 2008 (Dawn website) - The Asian Development Bank is expected to finance a management and development programme for water resources in Sindh under its multitranche financing facility.
Asian Development Bank Says Asian Economic Integration Is Good For U.S. Economy, By Siddique Islam, All Headline News, July 11, 2008 (AHN website) - Increasing integration among Asian economies is good not only for Asia, but also for the U.S. and the rest of the world, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says in a new study.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development:
EBRD's Mirow says inflation could curb growth in eastern Europe, Thomson Financial News, July 18, 2008 (Forbes website) - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development president Thomas Mirow said rising inflation could curb the rapid economic growth of a number of countries in central and eastern Europe.
World Bank Group and EBRD Launch Business Environment Survey in Tajikistan, July 17, 2008 (Web Wire website) - IFC, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have announced a joint initiative in Tajikistan—the fourth round of the Business and Enterprise Performance Survey.
International Monetary Fund:
Q & A with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF managing director, By Daniel Altman, July 18, 2008 (International Herald Tribune website) - Mr. Strauss-Kahn has chosen a selection of questions that encompass many of the most pressing issues facing the fund, including those that challenge its very existence.
IMF ups loans to Malawi as fuel costs squeeze, Reuters South Africa, July 15, 2008 (Reuters website) - The International Monetary Fund increased funding to Malawi by $16.9 million on Monday, approving a total disbursement of $24.7 million to help the country cope with soaring fuel and fertilizer prices.
Peru names new finance minister with ties to International Monetary Fund, Associated Press, July 13, 2008 (International Herald Tribune website) - A career economist from the International Monetary Fund is taking over as Peru's finance minister.
World Bank:
US lawmakers and World Bank seek to bridge gaps, By Lesley Wroughton, July 16, 2008 (Reuters website) - The World Bank and U.S. lawmakers, concerned with how Americans' tax dollars are being spent, launched a new forum on Wednesday to improve cooperation between the poverty-fighting institution and Congress.
WB commits US$1.2 billion in aid to Vietnam, July 16, 2008 (Thanh Nien website) -The World Bank (WB) will provide Vietnam with US$1.2 billion in aid from its International Development Assistance (IDA) program for the 2009 fiscal year.
World Bank told to step back from forest reform, July 16, 2008 (Carbon Positive website) - Forestry experts agree on the need for a new global partnership to ensure sustainable forests initiatives deliver on environmental needs and work for the poor. But they say the World Bank, which last year proposed the collaboration, should not take an active role in the initiative.
World Bank aggravates poverty among DR Congo soldiers: minister, UN Mission in DR Congo (MONUC), July 16, 2008 (MONUC website) - The budget restrictions that have been imposed on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) by the World Bank have adversely affected socio-economic conditions of the country's armed forces, according to official sources.
Russia seeks shake-up of World Bank, RosBusinessConsulting, July 14, 2008 (RBC website) - Russia will make efforts to change the approach for determining the stakes of the World Bank's shareholders, Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Pankin told today's press conference on the results of the recent G8 summit.
World Bank's Zoellick-Food prices high until 2012, Reuters, July 12, 2008 (Guardian website) - World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Saturday he expected food prices to remain above 2004 levels until at least 2012 and energy prices would also remain high and volatile. He repeated that with food and fuel prices in a "danger zone" there was a need for $10 billion to provide food and cash handouts for the world's poorest.
G-8 Endorsement of World Bank Falls Short, by Smita Nakhooda, World Resources Institute, July 11, 2008 (WRI website) - Much of the response to the G8 summit has focused on how leaders of world’s richest countries “missed an opportunity” to lay out strong long-term commitments and targets on greenhouse gas emissions.
Kosovo Applies To Join IMF, World Bank – PM., July 11, 2008 (World Bank website) -“Kosovo has applied for membership of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank", the Prime Minister of the newly independent Balkan state said on Friday.