国际货币基金组织总裁拉加德10月9日就埃博拉疫情发表的讲话

Remarks on the Impact of Ebola

Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director

October 9, 2014

Thank you very much, Jim. And good morning to you, President Johnson Sirleaf, and to you, President Koroma.  It’s nice to see you both on the screens. And good morning, President CONDé.  Thanks for being with us today.

On behalf of the IMF, I’m not going to address the health and humanitarian issues that Jim has identified so well, but I think that on this occasion, each institution has to do everything it can in its own area of competence and, more importantly, coordinate and cooperate with the others. At the IMF, we have mobilized resources, in addition to the programs that were in place in these three countries. We’ve moved expeditiously. I have to say that the Board has been unbelievable in responding to our request, and we are ready to do more. It is very rare for the IMF to say that, but on this occasion I will say it: It is good to increase the fiscal deficit when it’s a matter of curing the people, of taking the precautions to actually try to contain the disease.

The IMF doesn’t say that very often. It’s good to increase the fiscal deficit. Now, are we going to be enough of a response financially? No. And clearly, it’s an instance where all international institutions, all bilateral donors have to rally around these three countries to help them face the crisis. And it is even more demanding, given the economic progress, that those three countries have made over the last few years. The case of Guinea, for instance, the growth was in double digits. In the case of Liberia and Sierra Leone, there were huge progress, and the economic situation from a macroeconomic point of view was on its way to stabilization, and the fight against poverty was making progress.

So, what is likely to happen in addition to what I’m not addressing, the health and humanitarian aspects of this crisis? Is potential economic decline which will hamper the efforts that have been undertaken by the population and by the governments of these countries. So, from our perspective, and I want to repeat that in front of you three Presidents, we will stand ready to help you more, and I hope that the Board will support our efforts in so doing.

I would like to recognize the effort of Jim Kim in trying to shake us all in doing what is required. And I would like to salute the heroic efforts of the doctors, of the nurses, of all the people who, on the ground, are taking risks to address this issue.

Thank you.