Country Reports
2021
December 20, 2021
Niger: Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Niger
Description: Niger’s new government developed an ambitious reform agenda in the face of daunting challenges. The previous ECF-supported program was able to preserve macroeconomic stability and implement some key PFM reforms, notwithstanding the pandemic. However, progress on revenue mobilization was more limited, reflecting capacity constraints and a challenging environment. For the new government to achieve its development goals, it will have to overcome deep-seated social and political divisions and a deteriorating regional security situation. Enhanced reforms and the advent of oil exports over the medium-term offer hope that greater domestic resources can be marshalled to accelerate growth and poverty reduction.
December 17, 2021
Barbados: 2021 Article IV Consultation, Sixth Review Under the Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Facility, and Request for Modification of Performance Criteria-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: While Barbados has been making good progress in implementing its Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) plan to restore fiscal and debt sustainability, rebuild reserves, and increase growth, it continues to face major challenges owing to the global pandemic. International reserves have increased to US$1.4 billion by October 2021 supported by IFI loans. This, and a successful 2018-19 public debt restructuring, have helped rebuild confidence in the country’s macroeconomic framework. However, a virtual standstill in the tourism sector during the pandemic took a significant toll in 2020, with the economy contracting by 18 percent. While Barbados was successful in containing the outbreak during 2020, renewed COVID-19 waves weighed on the economic recovery in 2021. In addition, Barbados was hit by the twin natural disaster shocks of volcanic ashfalls from neighboring St. Vincent in April and category 1 hurricane Elsa in July. Economic growth is projected at 1.6 percent for 2021 premised on a modest recovery of tourism towards the end of 2021—down from 3 percent projected at the time of the fifth EFF review. The outlook remains highly uncertain, and risks are elevated.
December 17, 2021
Mexico: Technical Assistance Report-Strengthening Public Assets and Liabilities Management
Description: The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) of Mexico intends to strengthen public asset and liability management (ALM) practices. The 2018 Fiscal Transparency Evaluation (FTE) identified several gaps in reporting public sector assets and liabilities and analysis of the associated risks. The authorities have identified the need for further reforms in three interrelated areas: (i) adopt the public sector balance sheet (PSBS) analytical framework to inform policy making; (ii) move toward more active cash management; and (iii) strengthen the management of financial assets and introduce a sovereign assets and liabilities management (SALM) framework in a phased manner. This report provides recommendations for reforms in these three areas.
December 15, 2021
Chad: Request for a Three-Year Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Chad
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic, the volatility in oil prices, heightened insecurity, and a looming food crisis due to climate change have severely stressed an already vulnerable Chadian economy. The two Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) disbursements in April and July 2020 allowed Chad to meet its immediate financing and urgent balance of payment needs in the early stages of the pandemic. The authorities have requested Fund assistance under the ECF to support their post-COVID recovery and their plan to reduce debt vulnerabilities through a combination of a debt workout and a multi-year fiscal consolidation program. However, due to the death of the president following a resurgence of fighting with rebel groups in April and the delayed delivery of donor support, the treasury situation has become extremely tight, threatening social stability.
December 10, 2021
The Gambia: Article IV Consultation, Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria, and Financing Assurances Review-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for The Gambia
Description: Prior to the onset of the pandemic, The Gambia had shown strong macroeconomic performance in the few years following the remarkable political transition in 2016-17. Economic growth accelerated, debt vulnerabilities decreased, external stability strengthened, structural and legislative reforms advanced, and key social indicators improved. However, the COVID-19 pandemic halted some of the hard-won progress, stagnating economic activity and re-igniting extreme poverty. The Gambia experienced a third wave of the pandemic in mid-2021, which has receded recently. The COVID-19 vaccination rate currently stands at about 12 percent of the adult population. Presidential and parliamentary elections are planned for December 2021 and April 2022, respectively.
December 10, 2021
Liberia: Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Liberia
Description: Ensuring macroeconomic stability, providing a foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth, and addressing weak governance are the tenets of the ECF-supported program. The COVID-19 pandemic was a painful setback, but economic activity should recover by end-2021 and prospects for growth in 2022 are favorable. Prudent monetary and fiscal policies allowed inflation to decline into the single digits. The authorities are addressing disruptive currency shortages through a comprehensive currency changeover operation. While the SDR allocation provides timely room for supportive policies without compromising macroeconomic stability, the authorities remain committed to their reform program and generally continue to implement the necessary measures.
December 9, 2021
Cambodia: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: The rapid spread of the virus in Cambodia during 2021 has set the economy back again, after external demand collapsed in 2020. The authorities responded to the crisis with measures to support households and firms, including increased healthcare spending; a new system of cash transfers to vulnerable households; loans and guarantees; tax breaks; and wage subsidies and retraining. Despite these measures, growth is estimated to have contracted by -3.1 percent in 2020. Growth in 2021 is expected to be 2.2 percent, slowly recovering to pre-crisis rates of around 6½ percent.
December 9, 2021
Chile: Financial System Stability Assessment
Description: The financial system in Chile functions well overall within a sound regulatory framework. It features large and deep financial markets in a sector dominated by conglomerates, six systemic banks, and pension funds. The twin shocks of social unrest in late 2019 and COVID-19 were adeptly managed thanks to massive and well-coordinated supervisory and fiscal policy responses, as well as unprecedented liquidity support from the Central Bank of Chile (BCCh). Banks have remained profitable through the crisis, partially supported by central bank financing and government-guaranteed SME lending. The funded pension system that has been instrumental in market deepening is under threat due in part to a series of withdrawals. Congress has also authorized life annuity liquidations. A major reorganization of the financial regulatory authorities has been finalized, and Basel III will be implemented starting in December 2021.
December 9, 2021
Republic of Palau: 2021 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Republic of Palau
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures have severely impacted the economy. Border closure and the suspension of commercial flights curtailed tourist arrivals. Real GDP contracted by 9.7 percent in FY2020, notwithstanding policy support. The economic contraction is estimated to have deepened in FY2021, and a gradual recovery is expected in FY2022 as tourism activities resume. While Palau’s public debt remains sustainable, the economic fallout of the pandemic and the cost of the fiscal response have led to a sharp deterioration of the fiscal position and a rapid increase in public debt. The high share of concessional loans from multilateral creditors in Palau’s external debt is an important risk mitigating factor. Palau is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters.