Against the background of a decade of declining per-capita income and high inflation, the Article IV consultation focused on policies to begin to tackle Argentina's underlying impediments to sustained growth and low and stable inflation. Avoiding boom-bust dynamics suggests the need for greater...

On December 22, 2021, the IMF Executive Board approved a 36-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with access of 366.8 percent of quota (SDR 472.8 million or USD 673 million). The Surinamese authorities' homegrown economic recovery plan aims to address systemic fiscal and...

On March 1, 2021, the IMF Executive Board approved a 36-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with access of SDR 1.23749 billion (335 percent of quota, equivalent to USD 1.778 billion) to support the country's response to the pandemic and its reform efforts toward strong,...

Madagascar continues to be severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a contraction of GDP estimated at 7.1 percent in 2020, the economic recovery has been sluggish, partly reflecting a delayed reopening of the economy. Postponement of some external budget support, following delays in...

The authorities have reacted to the COVID-19 crisis in an appropriate manner, including through increased spending on health and a rollout of the vaccination program. Nevertheless, the deterioration of socio-economic indicators during the pandemic could create scars that would significantly...

Cameroon, the largest economy in the Central African Economic and Monetary Union (CEMAC), continues to face the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, the IMF's Executive Board approved three-year arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Extended Fund Facility...

While geopolitical tensions with Russia had already curtailed Ukraine's access to markets, the escalation to an invasion of Ukraine by Russia and full-blown war on February 24 has dramatically altered Ukraine's outlook. A deep recession and large reconstruction costs are to be expected, on the...

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a fragile state, vulnerable to recurrent shocks. A third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is straining the healthcare system. Widespread vaccine hesitancy has contributed to very low uptake of the vaccines with about only 2 percent of the population fully vaccinated. Real...

A new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is creating headwinds for the nascent economic recovery from the deep recession spurred by the pandemic's onset and related oil price shocks. Over the medium term, reforms supporting improved governance, economic diversification, and resilience will help...