International Monetary Fund

It was announced on May 1, 1961, that the government of Honduras had entered into a stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund designed to support the Honduran government in its effort to strengthen its foreign payments position, while maintaining the freedom and flexibility of its foreign exchange system. The agreement authorized drawings equivalent to $7.5 million from the Fund over the following twelve months. On May 17, 1961, the Fund arranged a one-year standby agreement for the government of Brazil for $160 million and rescheduled the payments to be made by that country to the Fund against previous drawings totaling $140 million. The Fund's financial assistance to Brazil was to support a broad financial program of fiscal, credit, trade, and exchange measures designed to combat inflation and to achieve balance of payments equilibrium within the framework of a free and simplified exchange system. The arrangement with the Fund was to be supplemented by additional credits from other sources and by renegotiation of maturities on Brazil's medium-term foreign indebtedness. The Fund also announced that on April 27, 1961, it had agreed to a drawing by the government of Australia of $175 million in currencies held by the Fund. At the same time it entered into a stand-by arrangement with the Australian government authorizing additional drawings up to $100 million over the following twelve months to support the government's efforts to improve its foreign payments position by means of fiscal, monetary, and other measures.