Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Sistic: Welcome to SISTIC! Your Ticket to Great Entertainment!

Singapore Repertory Theatre

SHOP : Actually... Jeans, bags, tees & things

Actually... Jeans, bags, tees & thingsCool Funky Urban Street Wear along quaint parts of Old China town Singapore.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Singapore Hosts : IMF 2006

Singapore 2006

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund† (IMF) and World Bank Group†† are the largest and most comprehensive gathering of global financial representatives in the world, and are held outside their Washington, D.C. base every third year.

The Annual Meetings attract more than 10,000 participants each year, ranging from financial dignitaries to members of the press. During the Meetings, representatives of the 184 IMF-World Bank Group member countries unite to discuss the course of global economic development and formulate underpinning policy strategies. A number of forums are also organised to facilitate interaction among government delegations, IMF-World Bank Group staff, private sector and civil society representatives and journalists. The findings of these discussions are readily communicated to the public via the media to ensure the transparency of the IMF and World Bank Group.

Each country’s delegation usually includes its Minister of Finance and the head of the Central Bank or their respective equivalents. The rest of the delegation is comprised of advisors and other government representatives, totalling approximately 3,500 participants from all delegations.

To keep the financial and economic communities abreast of the developments at the Annual Meetings, the organisations invite key members of the business arena who have a continuing interest in, or operational relationships with, the IMF and World Bank Group as observers and special guests. These participants draw from commercial organisations, public and private investment institutions and government bodies. Representatives from other financial institutions (both public and private), commercial enterprises, non-government organisations and private individuals can also seek to attend the Annual Meetings as visitors in their own interests. The number of observers, special guests and visitors participating in the Annual Meetings total approximately 5,000 each year.

Management and staff of the IMF and World Bank Group are also present. At each Annual Meetings, the Governors elect a Chairman from among the 184 member countries.

Singapore became a member of the IMF and World Bank Group on 3rd Aug 1966.

† The IMF was established to promote international monetary cooperation, exchange stability, and orderly exchange arrangements; to foster economic growth and high levels of employment; and to provide temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment.

†† The World Bank is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance. Its primary focus is on helping the poorest people and poorest countries. The World Bank uses its financial resources, trained staff and extensive knowledge base to help developing countries onto paths of stable, sustainable and equitable growth. In 2002, the World Bank provided $19.5 billion to developing countries and worked in more than 100 developing economies.

16,000 delegates
300 Finance Ministers.
184 Member Countries


Annual Meetings Outside the United States: 1947 - 2006
Year Location
1947 London
1950 Paris
1952 Mexico City
1955 Istanbul
1958 New Delhi
1961 Vienna
1964 Tokyo
1967 Rio de Janeiro
1970 Copenhagen
1973 Nairobi
1976 Manila
1979 Belgrade
1982 Toronto
1985 Seoul
1988 Berlin
1991 Bangkok
1994 Madrid
1997 Hong Kong
2000 Prague
2003 Dubai
2006 Singapore