Hoy’s economic editor Mario Mendez reports that the IMF will force the Dominican Republic to take a hard look at the banking crisis and “let the chips fall where they may.” In order to do this, a panel of independent international experts will be named to study the problems of governance associated with the banking crisis. This commitment was made by Central Bank Governor Jose Lois Malkun in a letter to the director for the Western Hemisphere of the IMF, Anood Singh, and formed part of the documents submitted by the Dominican government as its commitment to re-establish the standby agreement with the international organization. This commitment had also been made by Lois Malkun to the administrative director of the IMF in a letter dated 23 January, 2004. The panel will be seated no later than 29 February. The first report of the panel will be handed in by 15 April, and Lois Malkun emphasized that a copy will be forwarded to the IMF directorate. The final report will be issued by 30 April. The panel will specifically look at the monetary failings that led to the calamities of 2003 which saw the collapse of several sizeable banking institutions. From what has been understood, this commitment is part of the hard tack taken not only by the IMF, but also by the Treasury Department of the United States.