WASHINGTON, DC--Haiti is one of 25 countries granted immediate debt relief by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the decision was approved by the Executive Board under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) as part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts,” she said.
“The CCRT can currently provide about US $500 million in grant-based debt service relief, including the recent US $185 million pledge by the UK and US $100 million provided by Japan, as immediately available resources. Others, including China and the Netherlands, are also stepping forward with important contributions. I urge other donors to help us replenish the Trust’s resources and boost further our ability to provide additional debt service relief for a full two years to our poorest member countries.”
Haiti is the only Caribbean country to benefit from the debt relief.
The French Caribbean nation has 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 365 tests carried out. There have been three deaths.
The other 24 are: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen. ~ Caribbean360 ~
