THE International Monetary Fund’s member countries pledged Saturday to revive flagging global trade, boost government spending and remove barriers to business to fight weak growth that has left too many people behind.

    The pledge came as world finance leaders fretted over a rising populist backlash against trade and globalization at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Washington.

    “The persistently low growth has exposed underlying structural weaknesses and risks further dampening potential growth and prospects for inclusiveness,” the fund’s steering committee said in a communique.

    Britain’s vote in June to leave the European Union, U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s anti-trade rhetoric and a global slowdown in trade volumes have prompted policymakers to try to do a better job selling the benefits of global economic integration to the general public.

    The International Monetary and Financial Committee said uncertainty and downside risks to the global recovery were elevated, and that it was increasingly threatened by protectionist policies and stalled reforms.

    “We reinforce our commitment to strong, sustainable, inclusive, job-rich and more balanced growth. We will use all policy tools — structural reforms, fiscal and monetary policies — both individually and collectively,” it said.

    The steering committee, made up of people who represent the fund’s 189 member countries, also included a pledge to “design and implement policies to address the concerns of those who have been left behind and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from globalization and technological change.”

    IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has been urging countries to do more to boost growth, spending more on infrastructure and education where possible and relying less on loose monetary policy that is already reached the limits of its influence. She also has sought more pro-market reforms in many countries

    The members repeated their pledge to refrain from competitive currency devaluations, to not target exchange rates for competitive purposes and to clearly communicate their policy stances.(SD-Agencies)