IMF still eyeing gold sales to fill income gap

LONDON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is still considering whether to sell 400 tons of its gold stocks to help plug a widening income shortfall, the head of the global lender, Rodrigo Rato, said on Monday.

The IMF announced on January 31 that it was considering recommendations by an independent panel, including the sale of gold, after demand for IMF financial assistance has almost dried up, prompting an income shortfall of $165 million for fiscal 2007.

The IMF forecast that income gap would widen further to about $224 million in the next fiscal year.

"If the fund is to remain effective and legitimate, it must be properly financed," Rato, the IMF's managing director, said in text prepared for a speech to British members of parliament.

"I will make specific proposals based on the report (of the panel) over the next few months," Rato said, listing gold sales among the measures under consideration.

The gold sale is one of several measures recommended by the committee that included former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

The 400 tons of gold represents about one-eighth of the IMF's 3,217 tons (103.4 million ounces) of gold stocks, and it is worth about $68.4 billion at current market prices of around $669.00 an ounce.