Country Reports
2020
November 9, 2020
Cameroon: Request for Disbursement Under the Rapid Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Cameroon
Description: Since the approval of the first Rapid Credit Facility (RCF-1) request on May 4, 2020 (IMF Country Report No 20/185), weaker external demand in major trading partners (China and Europe) and a more pronounced impact of containment measures to slow the rising number of COVID-19 cases, have further deteriorated growth prospects and worsened Cameroon’s external and fiscal positions. Given limited fiscal buffers and urgent balance of payments needs due to the pandemic, the authorities allowed the current ECF arrangement expire at end-September, reiterated their interest on a successor arrangement, and in the meantime requested financial assistance under the “exogenous shocks window” of the RCF equivalent to 40 percent of quota (SDR 110.4 million). This additional request will bring the total disbursement under the RCF to 100 percent of quota in 2020.
November 4, 2020
Mexico: 2020 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: Covid-19 has exacted a tragic human, social, and economic toll on Mexico. Over 85,000 lives were lost; unofficial estimates are notably higher. Of 12 million workers that lost their jobs, most of whom came from the informal sector with a limited safety net, over 4 million remain out of the workforce. The working poverty rate jumped to 48 percent. After a historic drop in output, there has been a trade-led bounce in manufacturing. But domestic demand is weak, as is services activity that employs most of the workforce. Staff projects the economy to shrink by 9 percent this year, followed by a gradual recovery. It could take years for employment and incomes to return to pre-crisis levels, compounding the long-standing challenge of achieving strong and inclusive growth.
November 3, 2020
Niger: Sixth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility and Request for Waiver for Nonobservance of Performance Criterion-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Niger
Description: With one of the world’s lowest levels of human development, Niger has enormous needs but only limited own resources to meet them. Insecurity in the Sahel, climate change, and low prices for its uranium exports are further challenges. Niger’s economy performed reasonably well before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. GDP growth exceeded 6 percent and large foreign projects were attracted, notably a pipeline for the export of crude oil. A new government will take office in April 2021.
October 30, 2020
Cambodia: Technical Assistance Report-Government Finance Statistics
Description: As part of Cambodia’s participation in the Japan-funded Government Finance Statistics (GFS) and Public Sector Debt Statistics (PSDS) project for selected Asian countries (JSA3),1 this mission conducted an in-country workshop (December 2–4, 2019) and provided follow-up technical assistance (TA) on GFS and PSDS (December 5–13, 2019).2 Both activities were aimed at strengthening compilation and dissemination of fiscal data in line the GFS Manual 2014 (GFSM 2014) and the PSDS: Guide (PSDSG) to support surveillance and decision making. At the request of the authorities, the TA mission participated in the inter-agency workshop on data consistency in macroeconomic statistics conducted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) during December 5–6, 2019.
October 30, 2020
Trinidad and Tobago: Press Release; Financial System Stability Assessment; and Statement by the Executive Director for Trinidad and Tobago
Description: The FSAP work was mostly conducted prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Given the FSAP’s focus on medium-term challenges and tail risks, its findings and recommendations for strengthening policy and institutional frameworks remain pertinent. As the growth projections were significantly revised downward since the FSAP, the quantitative risk analysis on bank solvency was complemented to include illustrative scenarios to quantify the possible implications of the COVID-19 shock on bank solvency.
October 23, 2020
Sudan: Staff-Monitored Program-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Sudan
Description: The transitional government has requested a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) to help address major macro imbalances, lay the groundwork for inclusive growth, and establish a track record of sound policies that is a requirement for eventual HIPC debt relief. Major challenges lie ahead. Economic contraction since 2018 is set to intensify sharply in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fiscal and external imbalances are large, inflation is high and rising, the currency is overvalued, and competitiveness is weak. The humanitarian situation is dire with large numbers of internally displaced people and refugees. Despite the desperate situation, Sudan cannot access Fund financial assistance on account of (i) arrears to the Fund, (ii) arrears to other IFIs and other creditors, and (iii) unsustainably large external debt. Sudan remains on the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list (SSTL), which effectively hinders progress toward HIPC debt relief. While there is broad agreement between the authorities and staff about the key reform priorities, public tolerance for painful reforms is fragile given prolonged economic hardship. Notably, donor financial assistance has been well short of the amounts needed to facilitate gradual orderly adjustment. Hence, risks to the SMP are high.
October 21, 2020
Malawi: Request for Disbursement Under the Rapid Credit Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Malawi
Description: Presidential elections in June 2020, a re-run of the canceled 2019 elections, resulted in a change of government, with President Chakwera securing 59 percent of the vote. The new administration is facing a rapid acceleration of COVID-19 cases in Malawi and adverse spillovers from continued deterioration of the global and regional economic situation, significantly worsening the macroeconomic outlook. Consequently, an additional urgent balance of payments need of 2.9 percent of GDP has arisen—bringing the total external financing gap in 2020 to 5.0 percent of GDP. The authorities have requested an additional disbursement of 52.1 percent of quota (SDR 72.31 million) under the “exogenous shock” window of the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF), where 30 percent of the disbursement would finance the government budget. This follows the May 1, 2020 Board approval of a 47.9 percent of quota RCF disbursement (without budget support). The authorities have cancelled the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and expressed a strong interest in discussing a new ECF—better aligned with their new long-term growth and reform strategy—once conditions permit.
October 7, 2020
Costa Rica: Technical Assistance Report—The National Accounts Statistics Capacity Development Mission
Description: A technical assistance (TA) mission, conducted by CAPTAC-DR, took place during August 27 to September 7, in San Jose, Costa Rica, to assist the Central Bank of Costa Rica (CBCR) in compiling the non-financial and financial balance sheets. This TA mission was requested in the context of the rebasing project of the national accounts series to 2017, as follow-up of a previous mission conducted in March 2018. This mission covered two purposes: 1) provide guidance to the CBCR in developing statistical methods to estimate the capital stock for the non-financial private sector (NFPS), and 2) provide TA in compiling balance sheets, as part of the annual accounts by institutional sector (AAIS) of Costa Rica.
October 5, 2020
Ecuador: Request for an Extended Arrangement Under the Extended Fund Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; Staff Supplement; and Statement by the Executive Director for Ecuador
Description: On May 1, 2020, the Executive Board approved an RFI (US$643 million, 67.3 percent of quota), to support the urgent needs of the Ecuadorean economy in the wake of COVID-19 crisis, and the authorities cancelled the three-year Extended Fund Facility arrangement (US$ 4.2 billion, 435 percent of quota). The macroeconomic situation has since deteriorated, prompting the authorities to request a 27-month EFF of SDR 4.615 billion (about US$6.5 billion, 661 percent of quota), to help restore macroeconomic stability, support the most vulnerable groups, and advance the structural reform agenda initiated under the previous EFF.
October 2, 2020
Rwanda: Interim Performance Update Under the Policy Coordination Instrument-Press Release; and Staff Report
Description: COVID-19 has had a severe economic impact on Rwanda through the implementation of strict domestic measures to contain the spread of the virus and the related global spillovers. The authorities have responded by rolling out health and economic measures totaling USD 311 million (3.3 percent of GDP) to mitigate the impact on businesses and households. To help address the urgent balance of payments need arising from the pandemic, the Executive Board approved on April 2 and June 11, 2020 the authorities’ consecutive requests for emergency financing under the “exogenous window” of the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) totaling SDR 160.2 million (IMF Country Reports No. 20/115 and No 20/207). This brings the total IMF COVID-19 support to Rwanda to 100 percent of quota, or USD 220.46 million.