WASHINGTON: The US has criticised the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, saying they have lost sight of their main goal – boosting economic growth.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday called for both institutions to stop focusing on social issues and return to supporting global financial stability and growth, stressing that the IMF and the WB “must be made fit for purpose again”.
Speaking on the sidelines of the organisations’ spring meetings in Washington, Bessent said the IMF devotes “disproportionate time” to climate change, gender, and other social topics.
“The Trump Administration is eager to work with them – so long as they can stay true to their missions,” Bessent said, adding that the IMF should concentrate on global monetary co-operation and financial stability.
The World Bank, he said, should focus on core functions like helping developing countries grow their economies, lower poverty and boost private investment.
Bessent’s comments come amid concerns that Washington might pull back from the fund and the bank.
In a briefing with reporters after his speech on Wednesday, Bessent said that he has had meetings with IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President Ajay Banga, and that his remarks on Wednesday were “not a surprise for them.”
“I think that they are good leaders, and I hope that they will earn the confidence of the administration in the coming months through their actions,” Bessent added.
While the IMF and World Bank serve critical roles in the global economy, “under the status quo, they are falling short,” Bessent said in his speech.
He added that they “must step back from their sprawling and unfocused agendas.”
Bessent called on the IMF to be tougher with borrowers, saying the fund “has no obligation to lend to countries that fail to implement reforms.”
“Economic stability and growth should be the markers of the IMF’s success – not how much money the institution lends out,” he said.
An IMF spokesperson told reporters that the fund looks forward to furthering engagement with the US government.
On the World Bank, Bessent said the group should also “no longer expect blank cheques for vapid, buzzword-centric marketing accompanied by half-hearted commitments to reform.”
He noted that the bank could use resources more efficiently by helping emerging countries boost energy access, saying they should focus on “dependable technologies” rather than seeking out “distortionary climate finance targets.”
This could mean investing in gas and other fossil fuel-based energy production, he said. He also lauded the bank’s recent efforts toward removing restrictions on support for nuclear energy.
He urged for “graduation timelines” too, calling it “absurd” for China to still be considered a developing country.
Bessent said he was not concerned about the IMF slashing its US growth outlook.
He expects greater clarity on tariffs around the third quarter of the year, and said effects of deregulation should also begin kicking in around the same time.
