Countries need to rely on themselves and mobilize domestic resources (although the IMF frequent insistence on tight monetary and fiscal policies often makes this more difficult.) But there continues to be an enormous need for imported goods – medicines to promote health, technology to reduce the knowledge gap between the developing countries and the rest of the world, and machines to enhance productivity.
国际货币基金组织警告我们小心“荷兰病”，即外汇的涌入使本地货币汇率攀升，从而很难在出口行业创造就业机会，或很难在廉价的进口货的冲击下进行就业保护。在这点上，国际货币基金组织的观点有一定的道理。各国需要自力更生并充分调动国内资源（虽然该组织坚持紧缩的货币和财政政策的要求常常使这变得困难。）然而，进口货物的需求仍然巨大—促进健康的药物，缩小发展中国家和世界其他地区知识鸿沟的技术，以及用于提高生产力的机器设备。