United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the heads of the Bretton Woods institutions need to earn the confidence of the Trump administration.
The International Monetary Fund, IMF, is led by Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva with Ajay Banga as the President of the World Bank.
“I think that they are good leaders,” Bessent told reporters at the 2025 Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
“I hope that they will earn the confidence of the administration in the coming months through their actions.”
In his speech, Bessent said the Trump administration and United States Treasury are committed to expanding America’s global economic leadership.
Noting that IMF and World Bank serve critical roles in the international system, Bessent assured of the administration’s eagerness to work with them as long as they can stay true to their missions.
“But under the status quo, they are falling short,” the Treasury Secretary declared.
Bessent advised the institutions to “step back from their sprawling and unfocused agendas, which have stifled their ability to deliver on their core mandates.”
The American government also demands that the management and staff of the IMF and World Bank “be accountable for demonstrating real progress.”
