IMF Corrects Embarrassing East Europe Error

Business » FINANCE | May 7, 2009, Thursday // 11:53
Bulgaria: IMF Corrects Embarrassing East Europe Error The IMF revised data and began publishing new figures for the external debt/reserves ratios of some eastern European countries. File photo

The International Monetary Fund has corrected an embarrassing error that led to the publication of exaggerated estimates of the external debt levels of crisis-hit eastern European states, the Financial Times reported.

In its latest Global Financial Stability Report, published in April, the IMF provided key numbers on 38 selected emerging market countries, including their 2009 external debt refinancing needs as a ratio of their foreign exchange reserves.

But after the numbers for some countries were challenged by central bankers, analysts and journalists, the IMF revised the data and began publishing new figures for the external debt/reserves ratios of some eastern European countries.

The ratio for the Czech Republic was cut from 236 per cent to 89 per cent and Estonia's was reduced to 132 per cent from 210 per cent. It is understood the figure for Ukraine is also being cut to 116 per cent from 208 per cent, that Lithuania's ratio of 425 per cent may also be recalculated and that others may follow.

The IMF said on Wednesday it would verify its numbers and publish correct figures on its website as soon as they were available. "We regret any confusion that may have arisen as a result of our publication of erroneous figures."

The fund added that it was now reviewing "how the errors occurred" and would "amend the IMF's internal procedures according to the lessons learned".

The Financial Times pointed out that even after the reductions, the 2009 external debt refinancing/reserves ratios are much higher in eastern Europe than in Africa, Latin America or Asia. The figure for South Korea, the largest outside eastern Europe, is 93 per cent.

 

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