The paper presents highlights from the FY 19 budget, followed by a discussion of outputs based on the Fund Thematic Categories and of inputs.

The paper presents highlights from the FY 19 budget, followed by a discussion of outputs based on the Fund Thematic Categories and of inputs.

"The Fund continues to make efforts to maximize the use of available resources in order to deliver on the priorities and initiatives laid out in the Global Policy Agenda (GPA). The FY 18 outturn reflects reallocations and efficiency gains, as well as flexibility provided by carry forward resources. With the number of Fund arrangements falling, the Fund’s outputs shifted from spending on lending activity to multilateral surveillance. On the input side, the structural budget was fully utilized. This paper presents key highlights of the FY 18 outturn, including a discussion of the outputs and inputs. Details on Capacity Development (CD) are presented in Annex"

Operating within a flat real budget envelope, the Fund delivered on the priorities and initiatives laid out in the Global Policy Agenda and Management’s Key Goals (MKGs). Resource pressures were addressed via implementation of streamlining initiatives, strategic reallocation of resources towards higher priority areas, and careful budget management. In terms of outputs, spending in FY 16 continued the shift from crisis management to crisis prevention, in line with the MKGs. Output shifted moderately from multilateral surveillance and oversight of the global system to bilateral surveillance and capacity development. Lending activity expenditure remained broadly unchanged. Average country spending was broadly aligned with assessment of risk. The net administrative budget outturn in FY 16 was $1,038 million against an approved budget of $1,052 million. The modest underspend reflects the preservation of the contingency reserve and lower-than-planned travel expenditure. Relative to FY 15, higher budget execution led to a small real (0.8 percent) year-on-year increase in net expenditures. Total capital expenditures of $131 million were recorded in FY 16 out of the $435 million in available appropriations. HQ1 Renewal expenses made up 70 percent of the spending.

"This paper reports the Fund’s income position for FY 2018 following the closing of the Fund’s accounts for the financial year and completion of the external audit. Total FY 2018 net income, including income from surcharges, amounted to SDR 0.78 billion or SDR 94 million higher than estimated in April, reflecting mainly a larger than anticipated gain reported under IAS 19 (the accounting standard for employee benefits). GRA net income for FY 2018 was about SDR 0.76 billion and has been placed to the Fund’s reserves. In accordance with decisions taken in April 2018, a net transfer of currencies amounting to SDR 0.67 billion was made in early August 2018 from the GRA to the Investment Account. The placement of the net income to the Fund’s reserves has further strengthened the Fund’s precautionary balances, which reached SDR 17.5 billion at the end of FY 2018."

"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 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.