Technical Assistance Reports
2025
March 19, 2025
Burundi: Technical Assistance Report-Financial Sector Stability Review
Description: In response to a request from the Bank of the Republic of Burundi (BRB), the Monetary and Capital Markets Department (MCM) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) carried out a Financial Sector Stability Review (FSSR) mission from January 31 through February 13, 2024. The FSSR performed a diagnostic assessment of the financial system oversight framework, reviewed progress in implementing the technical assistance (TA) recommendations of 2019–2024, and developed a draft Technical Assistance Roadmap (TARM) to improve financial system stability by strengthening the BRB’s capacity. The mission identified three main macro-financial vulnerabilities: (i) the difficulty of assessing credit quality following the boom in lending in 2021–2022, worsened by the non-adherence to the International Financial Reporting Standard 9 (IFRS9) and to the rules on credit risk from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS); (ii) the risk related to exchange rate depreciation; and (iii) the sovereign-banks nexus. Moreover, given the concentration of assets (large exposures) and liabilities (deposits), prudential rules and regulations should be more rigorously applied and such concentration should be given greater consideration in supervision and stress tests. The report recommends strengthening the BRB’s supervisory capacity before enhancing prudential regulations, and addressing systemic risks through improved stress testing and a strengthened crisis management framework. Implementing these recommendations will bolster financial stability and support economic growth.
March 14, 2025
Zambia: Technical Assistance Report-Report on Data Quality Assessment for Public Sector Debt Statistics (September 30–October 4, 2024)
Description: This report discusses the findings and recommendations of the 2024 assessment of the data quality of the public sector debt statistics (PSDS) of the Republic of Zambia against the IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) for PSDS. The assessment was undertaken as part of a project to strengthen the quality of public sector debt in select African countries, funded by the Government of Japan. The December 2023 DSA, assessed Zambia’s debt risk as in debt distress. This followed Zambia’s default on its sovereign Eurobonds in 2020 and the accumulation of arrears to both official bilateral and other commercial external creditors. As a result, the authorities have made significant efforts to strengthen public debt management including establishing Public Debt Management Act, 2022, and the operationalization of the Debt Management Office. Zambia’s PSDS have improved significantly in the last two years, consistent with the strong and sustained commitment of the government to improve debt data transparency and accountability. The report notes strengths in the legal framework and institutional arrangements underpinning the compiled and reported PSDS and finds the disseminated statistics to be broadly reliable, transparent, and of good quality. Recommendations include expanding the sector coverage beyond the budgetary central government, transparently publishing reconciliations of stocks and flows and a more detailed breakdown of arrears and making the PSDS more widely available in machine readable formats, including through the National Summary Data Page (NSDP) and joint IMF-World Bank Quarterly Public Sector Debt statistics database (QPSD).
March 14, 2025
Papua New Guinea: Technical Assistance Report-Climate Policy Diagnostic
Description: This technical assistance conducts a Climate Policy Diagnostic (CPD) for Papua New Guinea, covering climate adaptation and mitigation policy, as well as enabling institutions. Climate-related risks are macro-critical considerations for Papua New Guinea, while the country faces acute policy challenges in addressing climate-development nexus. This CPD identifies policy reforms that are good for climate and economic growth and promote fiscal sustainability. A systematic policy approach is needed to strengthen the climate resilience of water supply sector and disaster risk management. Carbon pricing can play a major role in the fiscal policy package to encourage climate actions in the energy and forestry sectors. Increasing the Treasury’s engagement and strengthening cross-sectoral coordination would also help unlock climate investment.
March 14, 2025
Cabo Verde: Technical Assistance Report-Review and Operationalization of the Resolution Framework
Description: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) provided technical assistance to the Banco Cabo Verde (BCV) on reforming and operationalizing its bank resolution framework. Cabo Verde's special resolution regime (SRR) has been in place since 2014, with the BCV serving as the Resolution Authority. It has been applied once, in 2017, for a non-systemic publicly owned bank, but falls short of international best practices, with limited resolution tools and inadequate safeguards to protect creditors' rights, resulting in legal uncertainties. The IMF mission recommended several enhancements, including strengthening the conditions for entry into resolution and expanding resolution tools. The operationalization of the SRR is hindered by staffing challenges, with only one full-time staff member dedicated to the resolution function, and a lack of operational independence. The mission suggested restructuring the governance of the resolution function, separating it from the BCV’s macroprudential function and elevating its status within the BCV. Strengthening resolution planning is crucial, as current legal limitations seem to restrict the BCV's ability to prepare and execute resolution plans. The BCV should also be empowered to develop comprehensive resolution plans and crisis preparedness should also be enhanced, including by developing a resolution manual and initiating crisis simulation exercises.
March 14, 2025
United Republic of Tanzania: Technical Assistance Report-Report on Data Quality Assessment for Public Sector Debt Statistics (September 23–27, 2024)
Description: This report discusses the findings and recommendations of the 2024 assessment of the data quality of the public sector debt statistics (PSDS) of the United Republic of Tanzania against the IMF’s Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) for PSDS. The assessment was undertaken as part of a project to strengthen the quality of public sector debt in select African countries, funded by the Government of Japan. In recent years, Tanzania has made significant progress in strengthening the compilation and dissemination of public sector debt statistics. The Debt Database Management Section of the Debt Management Division (DMD) in the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has been modernized by implementing the Commonwealth Secretariat web-based debt management system (CS Meridian) in the financial year (FY) 2022/23. The report notes strengths in the legal framework and institutional arrangements underpinning the compiled and reported PSDS and finds the disseminated statistics to be broadly reliable, transparent, and of good quality. Recommendations include expanding the sector coverage beyond the budgetary central government, improving the available metadata, adopting a transparent revision policy, and making the PSDS more widely available, including through the National Summary Data Page (NSDP) and joint IMF-World Bank Quarterly Public Sector Debt Statistics database (QPSD).
March 12, 2025
Cayman Islands: Technical Assistance Report-Report on External Sector Statistics Mission (September 30–October 11, 2024)
Description: A technical assistance (TA) mission on external sector statistics (ESS) was conducted to the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) and Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) during September 30–October 11, 2024, as part of the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) work program on ESS. The focus of the mission was to assist in expanding the coverage and improving the classification of financial and nonfinancial Special Purpose Entities (SPEs) in ESS, including strengthening the cooperation between the ESO and CIMA on provision of data on entities under its supervision.
March 7, 2025
The Gambia: Technical Assistance Report-Public Investment Management Assessment Update with the Climate Module
Description: The IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD) conducted a Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) and Climate Module (C-PIMA) for The Gambia to assess public investment management (PIM) and its climate sensitivity. The assessment found improvements since the 2019 PIMA, including the 2020 Cabinet Memorandum for strategic project reviews, the 2023 SOE Act for centralized oversight, and enhanced procurement regulations. However, despite these institutional improvements, effectiveness has yet to catch up and, in some cases, has weakened. Climate resilience is also insufficiently addressed, with weak integration of climate risks into project planning and outdated regulatory frameworks. Key recommendations include establishing a public investment management information system, strengthening PIM oversight within the Ministry of Finance, formalizing project selection pipelines, and embedding climate-related criteria in investment decisions.
February 28, 2025
Republic of the Marshall Islands: Technical Assistance Report-Consumption and Income Tax Reform
Description: This report provides analysis and advice on tax policy and administration reforms to modernize and improve the income and consumption tax system. On consumption taxes, the key recommendation is to replace the current system that is based on import tariffs, a business turnover tax, and local sales taxes, by a more efficient and equitable system with a broad-based value-added tax, selected excises to address externalities, and a profit tax. On income taxes, the report recommends base broadening and simplifying the rate structure.
February 28, 2025
Bhutan: Technical Assistance Report-Development of an Interest Rate Corridor Framework
Description: In August 2024, at the request of the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (RMA), the IMF South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) conducted a Technical Assistance (TA) mission in Thimphu. The mission aimed to assist the RMA in establishing an interest rate corridor (IRC) and operationalizing related instruments, liquidity forecasting, and collateral frameworks. The mission identified that the RMA lacks necessary monetary policy instruments to effectively address changing systemic liquidity conditions and financial stability challenges. It emphasized the need to move away from reliance on administrative controls, as the absence of appropriate price incentives reinforces the preference for foreign exchange among Bhutanese residents, increasing pressures on the peg. To tackle these issues, the mission proposed a phased approach to introduce the IRC. Initially, relevant external and internal documents should be finalized, followed by mock operations. The first phase involves introducing a one-week main Open Market Operation (OMO), conducted weekly at the policy rate with full allotment. Automatic access to the IRC's standing facilities should be ensured. Later, fixed-quantity, variable-rate OMOs should be utilized, relying on liquidity forecasting to calibrate operations. Additionally, the mission recommended reinstating sweeping arrangements for government accounts and enhancing coordination with the Treasury to improve liquidity forecasting. These measures aim to strengthen the RMA's operational framework and enhance the effectiveness of monetary policy.
February 21, 2025
Angola: Technical Assistance Report-Strengthening the Forecasting and Policy Analysis System on the Transition to Inflation Targeting
Description: At the request of the Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA), a technical assistance (TA) mission from the Monetary and Capital Markets (MCM) Department visited Luanda, Angola from May 20 to May 24, 2024. The mission helped the authorities review its forecasting and policy analysis system (FPAS), proposed enhancements to modeling and forecasting procedures, and introduced fiscal channels into the core forecasting model to better characterize the dynamics of the Angolan economy. The mission concluded that while the BNA had made impressive progress in improving its FPAS in recent years, the current system only partially met the conditions for inflation targeting. Recommendations were made to facilitate the transition to full inflation targeting and enhance analytical capacity. Further progress is needed in using FPAS models for forecasting, policy advising, and improving monetary policy communication.