By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
5 -- After in
Sri Lanka the
Vice Chairman
of the UNP
Lakshman
Kiriella MP
called on the
government to
“reveal the
several
subsidiary
agreements it
had entered
into with the
International
Monetary Fund,
which impinged
on the
budgetary
allocations
for essential
services,”
Inner City
Press put the
question to
IMF
spokesperson
Gerry Rice at
his June 5
embargoed
briefing.
Rice
read out the
question, “Are
there
'subsidiary
agreements'
with Sri Lanka
that have not
been
disclosed?”
Then
Rice gave a
prepared
answer: “Sri
Lanka
completed its
stand-by
arrangement
with the IMF
in April 2012”
and “does not
currently have
a program with
the fund.” He
said the
“terms and
conditions
were outlined
in
governemnt's
letter of
intent...
published on
IMF website.”
Rice
concluded,
“there are no
further side
agreements.”
Meanwhile
on
Greece, Rice
characterized
as a “private
meeting” that
of Christine
Lagarde, whose
name was
floated for
the European
Commission,
and mission
chief Paul
Thompson,
giving rise to
a slew of
follow-up
questions. The
parliament is
out of session
until
September.
Might it be a
good time for
Lagarde to
make a move?
Ghana
has still not
requested any
program. Inner
City Press
also asked, so
far without
answer:
On
Egypt, does
confirmation
of the
election of
General Sisi
have any
impact on the
IMF program
for the
country? What
is the status
or next steps?
In
DRC, given the
IMF's previous
critique of
state-owned
Gecamines, is
there any IMF
comment on
Gacemines now
calling off
its plans to
divest a 20%
stake in the
Kamoto Copper
Company (KCC)
mining project
to Fleurette
Group?
In
Romania it's
reported the
IMF mission
under Andrea
Schaechter
asked the
Government to
come up with
measures to
compensate for
the 5 percent
reduction of
social
security tax
paid by
companies for
their
employees. Can
IMF confirm
that, and does
IMF have any
comment on
prime minister
Victor Ponta
saying June 4
that his
government
will not
introduce any
new taxes?
Watch
this site.
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