Legislators and the IMF

Legislators and members of Parliament (MPs) play a critical role in budget oversight, passing legislation that have significant economic impact and holding governments to account on behalf of citizens. They are also critical partners in building political support for implementing economic policy. Meetings with MPs help IMF staff better understand the concerns of member countries and to discuss best practices in economic policymaking.

The IMF regularly meets with legislators and MPs in the context of its surveillance activities and by hosting regional workshops. As part of its outreach efforts, the IMF also jointly hosts meetings of the Parliamentary Network of the World Bank and the IMF during the Spring and Annual Meetings. The Fund engages with legislators on such issues as fostering inclusive growth, fiscal transparency and good governance, and energy subsidy reform, among others.

Inclusive Growth:

IMF research has shown that persistently high inequality is associated with lower, less durable economic growth and greater financial instability. Fostering inclusive growth requires policies that boost productivity while carefully managing tradeoffs between growth and inequality. In practical terms, that can mean productive infrastructure investment, promoting financial inclusion, and policies that facilitate female labor force participation. Well-designed fiscal policy with progressive taxes and strong social safety nets can help mitigate tradeoffs between growth and inequality.