A Stabilization Fund for Countries Facing Market Turmoil

Abstract

A state-contingent financing facility would be an effective way to help mediate the economic and financial shocks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. An SSB could mobilize large amounts of financial resources from the international capital markets and provide cash flow relief to sovereign debtors without market access on attractive terms that reflect both a country’s liquidity requirements and its ability to service its obligations without adding to financial stress. A synthetic stabilization fund (SSB) sponsored by a credible official sector institution could provide state-contingent financing much like traditional stabilization funds. Thus, the amount and timing of funds available to a country, as well as the amount and timing of repayment should be linked to the performance of a proxy for a country’s financial position, such as commodity prices or export revenues. Unlike a traditional stabilization fund, the initial capital of an SSB would be raised in the private markets with credit support from official and bilateral sources to assure long-term funding at reasonable cost.