Country Reports
2020
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.
September 25, 2020
Colombia: Request for Augmentation of Access Under the Flexible Credit Line Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Colombia
Description: The current FCL arrangement for Colombia was approved in May 2020. Colombia was cited for its very strong policy frameworks—anchored by a flexible exchange rate, a credible inflation-targeting regime, effective financial sector supervision and regulation, and a structural fiscal rule—and a track record of very strong policy implementation that served as a basis for the economy’s resilience prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
September 25, 2020
Belize: Technical Assistance Report—Cybersecurity, Regulation, Supervision, and Resilience
Description: Cybersecurity risk is embedded in the CBB’s supervisory framework, but additional enhancements are needed to formalize guidance and develop more intensive supervisory practices. Supervisory expectations on cybersecurity are presented in an informal guidance note, which should be formalized into regulation to ensure enforceability; and an IT/cybersecurity supervisory manual should be developed to promote effective and consistent practices. With its principle-based guidance note, the CBB highlights its priorities in strengthening the cybersecurity posture of Belizean financial institutions. The principles are an appropriate interpretation of international best practices on incident prevention, detection, response, and recovery measures, adapted to the cyber maturity of the Belizean financial institutions, and can be used as a foundation for the formalized guidelines. The manual could emphasize the review of cybersecurity strategies, policies, and responsibility specifications and should address obtaining assurance on the effectiveness of the financial institutions’ processes for cyber risk identification, assessment, and mitigation.