By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 6 -- Money talks. The International Monetary Fund on February 6 was asked about the US debt ceiling, and about how Federal Reserve moves have hurt emerging markets. To both questions, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice said these are entirely matters for the US authorities: the IMF wouldn't dare to make suggestions.
Of course, with other countries the IMF does nothing BUT make suggestions, requiring raises in taxes and cuts in pensions, for example, as a condition for tapping assistance.
And then the IMF too often does not even take questions about such countries. Even Gerry Rice acknowledged, at the end of the July 6 bi-weekly briefing, that he had been remiss in taking online questions from journalists not in the room in Washington. (His solution was to take a question on another European country, Portugal.)
On Ukraine, Rice said the IMF is ready with "support" for economic reforms that would "revive growth." He said the IMF is always independence, "as you know."
Inner City Press from the UN submitted questions on South Sudan, Iran, Armenia, Romania and Niger, where French firm Areva is being asked to stop under-paying for uranium. Rice did not take this question; he also dodged or deferred a question about Christine Lagarde being questioned by French investigators on January 31.
In fairness, the IMF is not always unresponsive. Two weeks ago, just for example, they answered the Press on Afghanistan. The blind spot most often seems to be Africa. We'll have more on this.
