Press Release No. 17/316

IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement on the First Review of Mongolia’s Extended Fund Facility

August 1, 2017

• Mongolia’s economy is rebounding, with better than expected GDP growth at 2 percent this year.
• IMF supports the authorities’ effort on structural reforms, strengthening the banking sector and fiscal measures.
• The Board is expected to consider the first review in late September.　

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff team led by Mr. Koshy Mathai visited Ulaanbaatar from July 19 to August 2 to conduct discussions on the first review of the three-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement approved on May 24, 2017, in an amount equivalent to SDR 314.5054 million, or about US$434.3 million (see Press Release No. 17/193 ).

At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Mathai made the following statement:

“The economy is rebounding, with GDP growth likely to reach 2 percent this year on the back of strong coal production and exports, high private investment, and a return of confidence following the approval of the $5.5 billion IMF-led package.

Performance under the program has been good, with all quantitative targets on track. Fiscal results have been better than expected, supported by strong revenues and tight expenditure control. About half of the revenue overperformance will be saved, thus helping to reduce borrowing and control debt, while the remainder will be used to fund productive spending in line with the government action plan. Net international reserves have improved, reflecting strong export performance and capital inflows into the government securities market.

The authorities have moved ahead with their ambitious structural reform agenda, which will help to sustain growth over the medium term. The strengthening of the banking system is underway: the Asset Quality Review will soon be launched, important legal reforms are being drafted, and improvements to the regulatory and supervisory framework are being implemented. On the fiscal side, steady progress is being made in strengthening tax administration, tax policy, and budgetary controls, including through the establishment of a Fiscal Council. To strengthen the social safety net and target expenditures toward the most vulnerable, the government is fine-tuning the Child Money Program, with a commitment to target the program to less affluent families from 2018 and use the savings to increase food stamps for the poor.

The authorities and the team have reached staff-level agreement on the completion of the first review under the EFF arrangement, which is subject to review by the management and Executive Board of the IMF. The Board is expected to consider the first review in late September, and this could lead to a disbursement of SDR 27.9560 million, or about $37.82 million.

The team thanks the authorities for their cooperation, constructive dialogue, and hospitality during its stay in Mongolia.”