Swordsmyth
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Just a few weeks after Argentina became ground zero for the coming Emerging Market crisis, when its currency suddenly collapsed at the end of April amid soaring inflation, exploding capital outflows and a central bank that was far behind the curve (as in "13% of rate hikes in a week" behind)...
... the IMF has officially bailed out the country - again - this time with a $50 billion, 36-month stand-by loan, and coming in about $10 billion more than rumored earlier in the week, it was the largest ever bailout loan in IMF history, meant to help restore investor confidence in a nation that, between its soaring external debt and current account deficit, prompted JPMorgan to suggest that along with Turkey, Argentina is in effect, doomed.
As the JPM chart below shows, the country’s total budget deficit, which includes interest payments on debt, was 6.5% of GDP last year, much of reflecting a debt binge of about $100 billion over the last two and a half years. The primary fiscal deficit in 2017 was 3.9%.
The loan will have a minimum interest rate of 1.96% rising as high as 4.96%.
“We are convinced that we’re on the right path, that we’ve avoided a crisis,” Finance Minister Nicolás Dujovne said at a press conference in Buenos Aires. “This is aimed at building a normal economy.”
Dujovne said that about $15 billion from the credit line would be immediately available to Argentina after the package is approved by the IMF’s board, which is expected on June 20. The rest would be dispersed as needed as Argentina meets its targets.
Shortly after the news the loan was finalized, Dujovne made some additional, more bizarre comments, saying that "the amount we received is 11 times Argentina’s quota, which reflects the international community´s support of Argentina," almost as if he was proud at just how insolvent his country "suddenly" become. He was certainly delighted that, in his view, Argentina is now "too big to fail", and received not only this loan as a result...
According to Bloomberg, Argentina will see 30% of the funds a day or two after the Fund’s June 20 board meeting, and in typical IMF-bailout fashion, a form of austerity will be imposed on what was once Latin America's richest nation: as part of the agreement, the country will now target a fiscal deficit of 1.3% of GDP in 2019 and 2.7% this year, with a fiscal balance targeted for 2020 (good luck). And since the previous targets of 2.2% and 3.2%, were almost as laughable, this latest IMFian austerity package not only has zero chance of ever being achieved, but if Greece is any indication, it will make the Argentina crisis far worse. The government has also set a new inflation target of 17% in 2019 - It's considered low - declining to 13% in 2020 and 9% in 2021.
And the biggest joke, as part of the program, Argentina will agree to accelerate the pace at which it reduces the government deficit. The nation spends more than it collects in revenue and imports more than it exports, creating fiscal and current-account shortfalls that leave Argentina vulnerable to fluctuations in its currency. But, thanks to the even more idiotic policies of central banks, Argentina managed to sell a 100 year bond last year, demonstrating just how stupid some managers of "other people's money" really are.
“This is a plan owned and designed by the Argentine government, one aimed at strengthening the economy for the benefit of all Argentines,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde says in the statement which can be found on the IMF's website.
To take effect, the deal reached between the IMF’s staff and Argentine authorities still requires the approval of the IMF’s executive board.
Oh, and thank you American taxpayers: the IMF’s largest shareholder, the U.S., said in a statement Thursday from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that it supported the program, according to the WSJ.
More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-06-07/argentina-bailed-out-biggest-ever-loan-imf-history
... the IMF has officially bailed out the country - again - this time with a $50 billion, 36-month stand-by loan, and coming in about $10 billion more than rumored earlier in the week, it was the largest ever bailout loan in IMF history, meant to help restore investor confidence in a nation that, between its soaring external debt and current account deficit, prompted JPMorgan to suggest that along with Turkey, Argentina is in effect, doomed.
As the JPM chart below shows, the country’s total budget deficit, which includes interest payments on debt, was 6.5% of GDP last year, much of reflecting a debt binge of about $100 billion over the last two and a half years. The primary fiscal deficit in 2017 was 3.9%.
The loan will have a minimum interest rate of 1.96% rising as high as 4.96%.
“We are convinced that we’re on the right path, that we’ve avoided a crisis,” Finance Minister Nicolás Dujovne said at a press conference in Buenos Aires. “This is aimed at building a normal economy.”
Dujovne said that about $15 billion from the credit line would be immediately available to Argentina after the package is approved by the IMF’s board, which is expected on June 20. The rest would be dispersed as needed as Argentina meets its targets.
Shortly after the news the loan was finalized, Dujovne made some additional, more bizarre comments, saying that "the amount we received is 11 times Argentina’s quota, which reflects the international community´s support of Argentina," almost as if he was proud at just how insolvent his country "suddenly" become. He was certainly delighted that, in his view, Argentina is now "too big to fail", and received not only this loan as a result...
"It’s very good news that the integration with the world allows us to receive this support."
... but also hinted that the international community would also foot the bill for all other upcoming Argentinian bailouts. And if the country's history is any indication, there will be plenty more, as well as the occasional military coup for good measure.
According to Bloomberg, Argentina will see 30% of the funds a day or two after the Fund’s June 20 board meeting, and in typical IMF-bailout fashion, a form of austerity will be imposed on what was once Latin America's richest nation: as part of the agreement, the country will now target a fiscal deficit of 1.3% of GDP in 2019 and 2.7% this year, with a fiscal balance targeted for 2020 (good luck). And since the previous targets of 2.2% and 3.2%, were almost as laughable, this latest IMFian austerity package not only has zero chance of ever being achieved, but if Greece is any indication, it will make the Argentina crisis far worse. The government has also set a new inflation target of 17% in 2019 - It's considered low - declining to 13% in 2020 and 9% in 2021.
And the biggest joke, as part of the program, Argentina will agree to accelerate the pace at which it reduces the government deficit. The nation spends more than it collects in revenue and imports more than it exports, creating fiscal and current-account shortfalls that leave Argentina vulnerable to fluctuations in its currency. But, thanks to the even more idiotic policies of central banks, Argentina managed to sell a 100 year bond last year, demonstrating just how stupid some managers of "other people's money" really are.
“This is a plan owned and designed by the Argentine government, one aimed at strengthening the economy for the benefit of all Argentines,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde says in the statement which can be found on the IMF's website.
To take effect, the deal reached between the IMF’s staff and Argentine authorities still requires the approval of the IMF’s executive board.
Oh, and thank you American taxpayers: the IMF’s largest shareholder, the U.S., said in a statement Thursday from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that it supported the program, according to the WSJ.
More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-06-07/argentina-bailed-out-biggest-ever-loan-imf-history
