Kristalina Georgieva

To boost global liquidity, the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) has approved a general allocation of special drawing rights ( SDRs ) equivalent to US$650 billion, with about US$275 billion of the new allocation set to go to emerging markets and developing countries, including low-income ones.

“This is a historic decision – the largest SDR allocation in the history of the IMF and a shot in the arm for the global economy at a time of unprecedented crisis,” says IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva. “The SDR allocation will benefit all members, address the long-term global need for reserves, build confidence, and foster the resilience and stability of the global economy. It will particularly help our most vulnerable countries struggling to cope with the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.”

The general allocation of SDRs will become effective on August 23 2021. The newly created SDRs will be credited to IMF member countries in proportion to their existing IMF quotas.

“We will also continue to engage actively with our membership to identify viable options for voluntary channelling of SDRs from wealthier to poorer and more vulnerable member countries to support their pandemic recovery and achieve resilient and sustainable growth,” Georgieva adds.

One key option is for members that have strong external positions to voluntarily channel part of their SDRs to scale up lending for low-income countries through the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust ( PRGT ). Concessional support through the PRGT is currently interest free.

The IMF is also exploring other options to help poorer and more vulnerable countries in their recovery efforts. A new resilience and sustainability trust could be considered to facilitate more resilient and sustainable growth in the medium term.