Tag: IMF

Government Banking Policy Based on Best International Advice?

The Taoiseach has emerged to defend the government’s banking proposals. He has been reported as saying:

The proposal we have brought forward is on the basis of the best international advice, including the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund, and we are doing this in consultation with the European Central Bank.

Invoking international support for their approach has been a key element in the government’s PR strategy in recent months. However, these comments seem to me to confuse the actual roles being played by the various international organisations referred to.

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The IMF’s Warnings About Government Policy

One of the elements of the recent IMF Article IV report that I found a bit strange were the claims that the Fund had warned the government about its fiscal policy prior to the current meltdown. For instance, the first page of the report states

Various commentators and the IMF in its Article IV consultations did warn that the seemingly-unstoppable growth masked serious imbalances, including the fragility of public finances.

In his Irish Times article on Friday, however, Jim O’Leary correctly points out that the IMF are engaging in some pretty serious revisionist history and makes some very good points about the flaws underlying estimates of structural budget deficits (weaknesses that I discussed in my recent TCD-DEW talk about potential output.)

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The IMF versus the 20 Economists?

The Irish Times reports that in today’s Dail debate on the IMF Article 4 report, the Taoiseach said the following

The Opposition has claimed many times that no independent economist supports the Government’s approach to the banks. The IMF is independent, and more expert in advising on banking problems than most commentators, and it supports our approach.

So how out of line is the IMF’s position on banking with other economists who the government has consistently criticised, such as the signatories of the 20 guys Irish Times piece?

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Lucey on the IMF

Brian weighs in on the IMF and the banking crisis in this article in today’s Irish Times.

Rathmines and the IMF

This Rathmines internet cafe is seeking to ward off IMF intervention:

IMF and Rathmines