Скачать или смотреть USA: IMF MD STANLEY FISHER DEFENDS ORGANIZATION

(13 Apr 2000) English/Nat

The head of the International Monetary Fund has said critics of the global lender and its policies don't understand the organization.

As Washington prepares for a huge protest against the I-M-F and World Bank this weekend, I-M-F Managing Director Stanley Fisher defended the organizations programs saying they emphasized free trade and economic austerity.

Fisher said critics often spoke from the comfortable position as citizens of economically sound countries -- while countries actually in need of I-M-F support greatly appreciate the help.

On the eve of expected mass protests in Washington D-C against the I-M-F and World Bank, the head of the global lender defended his organization against its critics.

I-M-F Managing Director Stanley Fisher said the organization's lending practices were helping needy countries and don't trap them in impossible debt schemes.

Fisher said it's easy for people in wealthy countries to criticize the I-M-F for focusing only on economic growth and leaving humanitarian issues to other organizations.

He said rich countries owed much of their wealth to open trade.

But he said the I-M-F is often criticized for emphasizing to poor countries the need for that trade.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Yes there is much more to life than economic growth and it's particularly people in rich countries who say that. What we're trying to do is to help people in poor countries have the same opportunities as the people in rich countries have. People in rich countries have got that way through opening their borders."
SUPER CAPTION: Stanley Fisher, IMF Managing Director

The I-M-F has also been criticized for making large loans that end up in the hands of the corrupt, rather than reaching those the money was intended to help.

One of the most recent examples was Russia, where it was revealed that large loans could not be accounted for after they were disbursed.

However, Fisher said the I-M-F was satisfied with the current political climate in Russia and said the government there was on track to building a stronger economy.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This is the first time I've been to Russia in 10 years that I sense much greater consensus on what needs to be done and a political setting in which it seemed the government, the president, had the ability to do that."
SUPER CAPTION: Stanley Fisher, I-M-F Managing Director

The World Bank and I-M-F are holding their annual meetings this weekend in Washington.

Police have stepped up security around the two buildings in anticipation of mass demonstrations against the global lenders.

So far protests have remained small and peaceful with only a few arrests.

But police are poised for action should the situation turn ugly as it did in Seattle on November 30 when the World Trade Organization met there.

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