SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Feb 25 – When the
International Monetary Fund
held its biweekly embargoed
press briefing on February 25,
Inner City Press asked for the
status of programs and talks
with Sudan, Cambodia and
Zambia. Spokesperson Gerry
Rice answered on each, videos
here and here and here.
On Sudan,
Inner City Press asked, "what
is the IMF comment on,
including confirming its role
in, Sudan’s central bank sharp
devaluation of the
currency on Sunday, ascribed
to trying to 'unify official
and black-market exchange
rates in an effort to access
debt relief'?
Spokesperson Rice acknowledged
there may be "temporary"
inflation but praised the move
and said there is help or
support coming from donors and
the international community.
We'll see.
On
Cambodia, Inner City Press
asked: "state media quote the
IMF praising the government
and stating that the IMF
will continue to provide
technical assistance as well
as further capability building
in order to strengthen the
resilience and development of
the Cambodian banking sector.
True? Inner City Press added
in a question about the
crackdown on land protesters,
and environmental issues.
Spokesperson Rice described
the IMF's cooperation with
Cambodia but alluded to
oversight, mentioning real
estate. Transcript to follow.
On
Zambia, Inner City Pres aksed
please describe the status of
the talks, which started on 11
February, are due to end on 3
March, and comment on reports
that no program will be
possible before the election,
spending will balloon and
Zambia will, reportedly,
increasingly turn to loans
from China in exchange for
copper concessions?
Spokesman
Rice said, perhaps
understandably, that while the
talks are ongoing through
March 3, not much can be said.
There will be a press release
after.
Watch this site.
Back on January 8
Inner City Press asked the
IMF's Helge Berger, Mission
Chief, about China's so-called
Belt and Road Initiative:
"Your Article IV report cites
China's "overseas lending
projects" amid "rising
geopolitical tensions and
economic and trade frictions."
How does the IMF think that
rising debt levels among
African countries, and
increased skepticism about the
"Belt and Road" will impact or
be addressed going forward?
-Matthew Russell Lee, Inner
City Press. Video here.
Berger
responded about
the IMF's work
to provide
lower income
countries
"breathing
space." He
said while the
IMF generally
welcomes the
BRI it stresses the
need for
transparency,
where the
money is
going.
(An aside: Inner
City Press has
reported on
the CEFC China
Energy Fund
Committee's
activities in
Chad and
Uganda and in
the UN, on
which the UN is
UNresponsive.)
Other questions
included
China's digital
currency (Inner
City Press also reports
on
crypto-currency
cases in the
U.S. District
Court for the
Southern
District of
New York and
elsewhere).
Berger said
when used
overseas an
issue is that
residents
could start
using another
country's
currency, if
it is easier.
We'll have more
on this.
***
Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
exclusive bonus material on our Patreon
page. Click
here to become a patron.
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA
Mail: Box 20047, Dag
Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other, earlier Inner City Press are
listed here,
and some are available in the ProQuest
service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright 2006-2021 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com
,
