US Treasury’s Bessent urges IMF, World Bank to refocus on core missions

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday called on the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to refocus on their core missions of macroeconomic stability and development, arguing that they have strayed too far into vanity projects such as climate change that have reduced their effectiveness.

Bessent, in remarks outlining his vision for U.S. engagement with the IMF and World Bank on the sidelines of the institutions’ spring meetings, said that they serve critical roles in the international financial system.

“And the Trump administration is eager to work with them – so long as they can stay true to their missions,” Bessent said in prepared remarks to the Institute of International Finance.

“The IMF and World Bank have enduring value. But mission creep has knocked these institutions off course. We must enact key reforms to ensure the Bretton Woods institutions are serving their stakeholders – not the other way around,” he said, calling on U.S. allies to join the effort. “America First does not mean America alone.”

Bessent said the IMF needed to focus on its key mandate and adhere to strong standards in its lending.

“The IMF was once unwavering in its mission of promoting global monetary cooperation and financial stability. Now it devotes disproportionate time and resources to work on climate change, gender, and social issues. These issues are not the IMF’s mission.”

“And sometimes, the IMF needs to say ‘No.’ The organization has no obligation to lend to countries that fail to implement reforms.”

Bessent added that the World Bank must be “tech-neutral and prioritize affordability in energy investment. In most cases, this means investing in gas and other fossil fuel-based energy production.” He added that it could also finance renewable energy projects along with systems to manage energy latency in wind and solar.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Paul Simao)