The net administrative budget for FY2017 has been set at US$1,072.5 million. After four years of zero real growth, the FY 2017 budget includes an increase of 1⁄2 percent in constant dollar terms to cover the institution’s rising IT and physical security costs, as well as a small adjustment for increases in the salary structure and in the costs of non-personnel expenses. The budget envelope also entails reallocation measures of 1.5 percent of resources and institution-wide savings to meet new high priority tasks and commitments to the membership. The FY2017 capital budget, set at US$60.5 million, provides financing for new capital projects for building facilities and IT.

"The FY 19 budget proposal is formulated against the backdrop of a strengthening global recovery and broadly balanced near term risks. The budget reflects a solid income position and a multi-year strategic agenda—operationalized in the Global Policy Agenda (GPA) and Board Work Program—to help members take advantage of the current cyclical upswing to bolster growth, harness the benefits of technology for all, while promoting resilience and responding swiftly to requests for program support. The net administrative budget for FY 19 remains unchanged in real terms, save for the extra customary travel allocation for Annual Meetings held abroad. This represents the seventh year in a row of flat real budget envelopes (excluding the 1⁄2 percentage point security related increase in FY 17). The proposal reflects reallocations of some 21⁄2 percent of the net budget. As the expected FY 18 outturn is just below the approved budget, carry-forward resources equivalent to 4 percent of the net budget from earlier years would still be available. Of these, roughly one half ($19 million) has been allocated upfront in the FY 19 budget process. The impact of savings and demands on the Fund’s overall output structure is modest. Fund-financed structural resources are projected to shift slightly from global oversight towards multilateral surveillance as a net result of reallocations from completed to new policy work and reviews, in line with the Board Work Program. Fund-financed country work—bilateral surveillance, lending and capacity development—falls somewhat. Externally financed capacity development (CD) is expected to grow further. Support and governance areas continue to experience structural pressures. The same level of real resources is assumed over the medium-term. However, with medium-term risks to the economic outlook still on the downside, were upside spending pressures to emerge, the flat real budget stance would require a continued ability to find offsetting savings to meet emerging and unforeseen priorities. The capital budget envelope for FY 19 is broadly unchanged from the assumptions in the FY 18–20 Medium-Term Budget. The amounts for the outer years are indicative."

The Fund has been operating under a flat real resource envelope for the past six years. With continued efforts to maximize the use of available resources, spending in FY 17 is projected to reach 99 percent of the net administrative budget, and a low vacancy rate has helped stabilize overtime at 11 percent. Internal savings and reallocations have allowed the Fund to dedicate more resources to country work, including capacity development, without requiring an increase in the approved budget—apart from $6 million provided in FY 17 to cover rising security costs. An unchanged real net administrative budget in FY 18, despite deeper Fund engagement in a number of areas, as well as increased costs for corporate modernization. Accordingly, the budget proposal incorporates significant savings from reallocations and efficiency gains to fund new demands, as well as a further increase in the upfront allocation of carry-forward funds by about $10 million. The broad themes of the proposal are: (i) more intensive country work with a shift from surveillance to programs, but net savings in field offices; (ii) significant policy and analytical work on the financial sector and the role of the Fund (global safety net, facilities, and quotas), albeit less than in FY 17, with more work on structural issues and new challenges; (iii) funding for transforming IT and HR services, offset by central savings; and (iv) enhanced risk mitigation and knowledge management (KM), with the establishment of a KM unit to support cross-country analysis and knowledge transfer. At this stage, a flat resource envelope is assumed also for the medium term, contingent on continued reprioritization and a broadly unchanged global economic environment. Upward pressure on resources will arise from growing capacity development activities and certain revenue losses. Savings are expected from the TransformIT initiative and internal efficiency gains. But for the budget to remain flat, the Fund will need to continuously reprioritize and adjust its activities to make room for new demands. Even then, a more challenging global environment, with a further ramping up of Fund lending, or significant demands for deeper engagement in other areas, would put significant strains on resources over the medium term. The proposed capital budget envelope for FY 18–20 remains broadly unchanged from current levels. Some frontloading, however, is planned for the first two years, due to the cyclical nature of these investments and to accommodate strategic IT projects.

FY2020–FY2022 Medium-Term Budget

On April 27, 2020, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the IMF’s administrative and capital budgets for financial year (FY) 2021, beginning May 1, 2020, and took note of indicative budgets for FY 2022–23.

The medium-term income projections have been updated from the April 2015 outlook and the February review of the adequacy of precautionary balances. The main changes to the outlook stem from a more gradual rise in the SDR interest rates and lower surcharge income following the lowering of the surcharges threshold. The revised projections still show a positive forecast for net operational income (and surcharges) over the medium term, albeit lower than projected a year ago. Lending income (excluding surcharges) is marginally higher compared with earlier estimates. Surcharge income is estimated to be lower, reflecting the adjustment of the surcharges thresholds following the implementation of quota increases under the 14th General Review. Projected income from the Fixed-Income Subaccount of the Investment Account and interest-free resources are expected to increase more gradually over the medium-term as market indicators now point to a slower rise in interest rates from their current low levels. The expenditure path includes an increase in real terms of about 1⁄2 percent in the net administrative budget for FY 2017 to accommodate rising costs for physical and IT security. Moreover, reflecting further upward pressure over the medium term and uncertainty about the scope for offsetting savings, the traditional baseline assumption of a constant real spending envelope in the outer years is complemented by an alternative scenario with a further moderate spending increase of 11⁄2 percent, phased in over FY 2018–19. In addition, a lower projected U.S. dollar/SDR exchange rate increases the expenses in SDR terms.

The Fund’s total net income for FY 2017, including surcharges, is projected at about SDR 1.7 billion or some SDR 0.7 billion higher than expected in April 2016. This mainly reflects the IAS 19 adjustment (relating to reporting of employee benefits), which is expected to contribute about SDR 0.4 billion to net income, and higher investment income. Lending income is expected to be modestly lower than the April 2016 estimates. The paper recommends that GRA net income of SDR 1.2 billion for FY 2017 (which excludes projected income of the gold endowment), be placed equally to the special and general reserve. After the placement of GRA FY 2017 net income to reserves, precautionary balances are projected to reach SDR 16.4 billion at the end of FY 2017. The paper further proposes to transfer currencies equivalent to the increase in the Fund’s reserves from the GRA to the Investment Account. In April 2016, the margin for the rate of charge was set at 100 basis points for the two years FY 2017 and FY 2018. The margin may be adjusted before the end of the first year of this two-year period (i.e., FY 2017) but only if warranted by fundamental changes in the underlying factors relevant for the establishment of the margin at the start of the two-year period. Staff does not propose a change in the margin. The projections for FY 2018 point to a net income position of SDR 0.7 billion. These projections are subject to considerable uncertainty and are sensitive to a number of assumptions.