Skip to main content
Log in

New ways of achieving debt sustainability beyond the enhanced HIPC Initiative

  • Articles
  • Debt Sustainability
  • Published:
Intereconomics

Abstract

In 1996 the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched by the Bretton Woods institutions to reduce the external debt burden of low-income countries (LICs) to sustainable levels in a reasonably short period of time because debt constitutes an obstacle to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. In some HIPCs, however, debt sustainability has been in danger despite debt relief under the HIPC Initiative. Debt relief is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for development. It can do no more than play a catalytic role. The question, then, is how to achieve debt sustainability beyond the HIPC Initiative.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. United Nations: United Nations Millennium Declaration, Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly, New York, 18 September 2000.

  2. See Boileau Loko, Montfort Mlachila, Raj Nallari, Kadima Kalonji: The Impact of External Indebtedness on Poverty in Low-Income Countries, IMF Working Paper, WP/03/61, Washington DC 2004; David Dollar, Aart C. Kraay: Growth is Good for the Poor, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, No. 2587, Washington DC, April 2001.

  3. See Paul Krugman: Financing vs. Forgiving A Debt Overhang, in: Journal of Development Economics, Vol. 29, North-Holland 1988, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., pp. 253–268, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  4. See S. Ibi Ajayi, Mohsin S. Khan: Introduction, in: Ibi Ajayi, Mohsin S. Khan (eds.): External Debt and Capital Flight in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington DC 2000, IMF-Institute, pp. 1–8, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  5. See Anthony R. Boote, Kamau K. Thugge: Debt Relief for Low-Income Countries and the HIPC Initiative. IMF Working Paper, WP/97/24, Washington DC 1997; David Andrews, Anthony R. Boote, Syed S. Rizavi, Sukhwinder Singh: Debt Relief for Low-Income Countries. The Enhanced HIPC Initiative, International Monetary Fund, Pamphlet Series No. 51, Washington DC 1999.

  6. See Anthony Boote, Kamau K. Thugge, op. cit. Debt Relief for Low-Income Countries and the HIPC Initiative. IMF Working Paper, WP/97/24, Washington DC 1997;

  7. See IMF: Annual Report 2001, Washington DC 2002.

  8. For a detailed description of the procedure of the topping-up approach, see IMF, IDA: Enhanced HIPC-Initiative — Completion Point Consideration, Washington DC, August 17, 2001.

  9. See IMF, IDA: The Challenge of Maintaining Long-Term External Debt Sustainability, Washington DC, April 17, 2001, p. 4.

  10. See World Bank: Debt Relief for the Poorest. An OED Review of the HIPC Initiative. Washington DC 2003.

  11. See Kathrin Berensmann: Die Zukunft der HIPC-Länder: Ist Schuldentragfähigkeit langfristig erreichbar? in: Dirk Messner, Imme Scholz (eds): Zukunftsfragen der Entwicklungspolitik, Baden Baden 2004, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 315–328.

    Google Scholar 

  12. See IMF: Annual Report 2001, op. cit. Burkina Faso. Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative Completion Point Document, Washington, DC, March 28, 2002.

  13. See IMF, IDA: Debt Sustainability in Low-Income Countries — Proposal for an Operational Framework and Policy Implications, Washington DC, February 3, 2004.

  14. Ibid. See IMF, IDA: Debt Sustainability in Low-Income Countries — Proposal for an Operational Framework and Policy Implications, Washington DC, February 3, 2004.

  15. See Matthew Martin: Assessing the HIPC-Initiative: The Key HIPC-debates, in: Jan J. Teunissen, Age Akkerman (eds.): HIPC Debt Relief, Myths and Reality, FONDAD (Forum on Debt and Development), The Hague 2004, pp. 11–47.

  16. Current estimates show that the cost of achieving MDGs is between US$ 30 and 100 billion. See Peter Wolff: Finanzierungsmechanismen zur Erreichung der MDGs, in: Dirk Messner, Imme Scholz (eds.), op. cit., Zukunftsfragen der Entwicklungspolitik. Baden Baden 2004. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 301–313.

  17. See IMF, IDA: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative —Status of Implementation, Washington DC, September 12, 2003.

  18. See IMF, IDA: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative —Status of Implementation, Washington, DC, August 20, 2004.

  19. Ibid. See IMF, IDA: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative —Status of Implementation, Washington, DC, August 20, 2004.

  20. See Kathrin Berensmann, op. cit. Die Zukunft der HIPC-Länder: Ist Schuldentragfähigkeit langfristig erreichbar?

  21. See IMF, IDA: The Enhanced HIPC Initiative and the Achievement of Long-Term External Debt Sustainability, Washington, DC, April 15, 2002.

  22. See IMF: Fund Assistance for Countries Facing Exogenous Shocks, Washington, DC, August 8, 2003.

  23. See IMF: Burkina Faso. Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative Completion Point Document, Washington, DC, March 28, 2002.

  24. See IMF: Ethiopia Completion Point Document, Washington, DC, April 2, 2004.

  25. See Amar Bhattacharya: From Debt Relief to Achieving MDGs, in: Jan J. Teunissen, Age Akkerman (eds.), op. cit. HIPC Debt Relief, Myths and Reality, FONDAD (Forum on Debt and Development), The Hague 2004, pp. 97–108; IMF, IDA: 2003, op. cit. See Kathrin Berensmann, op. cit. Die Zukunft der HIPC-Länder: Ist Schuldentragfähigkeit langfristig erreichbar?

  26. See IMF, IDA: Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative —Status of Implementation, Washington DC, September 12, 2003.

  27. See IMF: Independent Evaluation, World Bank Operations Evaluation Department: the Poverty Reduction Strategy Initiative, An Independent Evaluation of the World Bank's Support Through 2003, Washington, DC, 2004.

  28. See ibid.; IMF: IMF Discusses Operational Debt Sustainability Framework for Low-Income Countries, Washington, DC, 2004.

  29. See Gordon Brown: Statement by Gordon Brown, International Monetary and Financial Committee, Tenth Meeting, Washington, DC, October 2, 2004; John Snow: Statement by John Snow, Development Committee, Seventieth Meeting, Washington, DC, October 2, 2004.

  30. See International Financial Institution Advisory Committee (IFIAC): IFIAC Report 2000, www.house.gov/jec/imf/meltzer.htm as of November 7, 2004.

  31. See IMF, IDA: Debt Sustainability in Low-Income Countries — Proposal for an Operational Framework and Policy Implications, Washington, DC, February 3, 2004.

  32. See IDA: Additions to IDA Resources: Thirteenth Replenishment, Washington, DC, 2002; IDA: Debt Sustainability and Financing Terms in IDA 14, Washington, DC, 2004.

  33. For an overview of these approaches see Helmut Reisen: Innovative Approaches to Funding the Millennium Development Goals, OECD Policy Brief No. 24, Paris 2004; or Anthony B. Atkinson: New Sources of Development Finance: Funding the Millennium Development Goals, United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economic Research (WIDER), Policy Brief No. 10, 2004, Oxford University Press; or Peter Wolff, op. cit. Finanzierungsmechanismen zur Erreichung der MDGs, in: Dirk Messner, Imme Scholz (eds.), Zukunftsfragen der Entwicklungspolitik. Baden Baden 2004. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, pp. 301–313.

  34. See Gordon Brown, op. cit. Statement by Gordon Brown, International Monatary and Financial Committee, Tenth Meeting, Washington, DC, October 2, 2004; HM Treasury and Department for International Development (DFID): International Finance Facility, a Technical Note, Norwich, February 2003.

  35. See IMF: Role of the Fund in Low-Income Member Countries over the Medium Term — Issues Paper for Discussion, Washington, DC, 2003; IMF: Fund Assistance for Countries Facing Exogenous Shocks, Washington, DC, August 8, 2003; IMF: Ethiopia Completion Point Document, Washington, DC, April 2, 2004; and IMF: The Fund's Support of Low-Income Member Countries: Considerations on Instruments and Financing, Prepared by the Finance and Policy Development and Review Departments, Washington, DC, 2004.

  36. See IMF: Review of the Compensatory Financing Facility, Washington DC, February 18, 2004.

  37. See Paul Collier, Patrick Guillaumont, Sylviane Guillaumont Jeanneney, Jan Willem Gunning: Reforming Stabex, in: the World Economy, Vol. 22, No. 5, 1999, Blackwell Publishers, pp. 669–682; IMF: Fund Assistance for Countries Facing Exogenous Shocks, Washington, DC, August 8, 2003.

  38. See Kathrin Berensmann, op. cit. Die Zukunft der HIPC-Länder: Ist Schuldentragfähigkeit langfristig erreichbar?

  39. See Christopher L. Gilbert, Alexandra Tabova: Realignment of Debt Service Obligations and Ability to Pay in Concessional Lending: Feasibility and Modalities, in: Andreas Antoniou, Abbas Berya: Long-Term Debt Sustainability in Low-Income Countries: the HIPC Initiative Revisited, Commonwealth Economic Paper Series No. 61, Commonwealth Secretariat, London 2004, pp. 79–125.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Berensmann, K. New ways of achieving debt sustainability beyond the enhanced HIPC Initiative. Intereconomics 39, 321–330 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03031718

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03031718

Keywords

Navigation