Press Release No. 17/393

Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Discussions continue on an IMF-supported economic program

October 11, 2017

• The Mauritanian authorities and the IMF mission have made considerable progress in discussions on an economic program that could be supported by the IMF.
• These discussions will continue next week in Washington, on the sidelines of the IMF Annual Meetings.

An IMF mission headed by Mr. Eric Mottu visited Nouakchott from September 25 to October 6, 2017 to continue the discussions, initiated in February 2017, on an economic and financial program that could be supported under the Fund’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF). At the conclusion of the visit, Mr. Mottu made the following statement:

“The Mauritanian authorities and the IMF mission have made considerable progress in their discussions on an economic program and reform measures that could be supported under a new ECF arrangement covering the period 2017-20, aimed at preserving macroeconomic stability and supporting inclusive growth.

“The authorities and the mission have agreed to continue the discussions next week in Washington, on the sidelines of the IMF Annual Meetings, focusing in particular on the public investment program, fiscal policy, and public finance and monetary policy reforms.

“Economic indicators point to a recovery of economic activity, inflation was stabilized at 2.2 percent in August, and the outlook is favorable despite uncertainties related to this year’s rainfall. The Mauritanian authorities’ economic program makes inclusive and sustainable growth a priority by emphasizing economic diversification, job creation, and improvement of the population’s living conditions, including within the framework of the Growth and Shared Prosperity Strategy (SCAPP).

“The mission wishes to thank the authorities for their warm welcome and for the constructive dialogue that prevailed during the discussions.”