The IMF makes loans to countries that are experiencing economic distress to prevent or mitigate financial crises. Members contribute the funds for this lending to a pool based on a quota system. In 2019, loan resources in the amount of SDR 11.4 billion (SDR 0.4 billion above target) were secured to support the IMF’s concessional lending activities into the next decade. IMF funds are often conditional on recipients making reforms to increase their growth potential and financial stability. Structural adjustment programs, as these conditional loans are known, have attracted criticism for exacerbating poverty and reproducing the colonialist structures.
