IMF chief says 62 pc of COVID-19 lending went to LatAm

Sixty-two per cent of the International Monetary Fund’s lending in response to the coronavirus pandemic has gone to 21 countries in hard-hit Latin America, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said. Georgieva told a panel hosted by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, the fund had plenty of lending firepower left, and would focus on helping countries in the region take the “turn towards a greener and digital and fairer economy.” Latin America had 8 per cent of the world’s population, but about 20 per cent of the COVID-19 infections and 30 per cent of the deaths, and the end of the pandemic was not yet in sight, Georgieva said.