IMG have always been an OP faction since it's concept doesn't follow the main idea for the rest of the factions.
I'm talking about the comparation of ZOI and Limitations the faction have.
As bigger the Zoi as bigger the limitations. For IMG this don't work. IMG can go anywhere and mine almost everything while having own shipline, good ID, almost no enemies.
This drives the people into the faction - easy cash is very attractive especially if your goal is in getting as much cash as you can with as little risk as possible. So this, plus retarded faction ID's with a load of limitations, baraly few fields to mine at and with military players usually not giving a duck about guarding the mining operations makes the IMG ID very suitable.
But talking about the ways of fixing this I'd like the nerfs over buffs since it's already retardedly easy to get an annormous amount of cash in a short period of time. Trading and mining shouldn't be that much profitable at all to make the process of getting cash for ships longer. Also mercenaring\bounty hunting\pirating are currently nowhere to be compared in profits to trading and mining. It shouldn't be better or in line with trading for sure, but it should be a way to get the cash as well.