摘要：The IMF is made up of 189 member countries. Close to 40% of these are low-incomecountries, whose population – at the aggregate level – accounts for 15% of the populationof all the members. The voting power of these countries in the IMF’s decision-makingbodies is 5%, and their relative economic weight, measured by GDP, around 2.5% of thetotal (see Table 1).In addition to performing its traditional functions1, the IMF engages in specific activitiesaimed at the group of low-income countries. In particular, since 1976 it has financedprogrammes for growth and poverty-reduction under concessional arrangements (withsubsidised interest rates, and relatively long grace periods and maturities); since 1996 ithas forgiven the debt incurred by countries that accredit their over-indebtedness andpursue ad hoc programmes; and since 2005 it has supported the implementation ofprogrammes without financing for supervisory and signalling purposes (see Box 1).
