IMF Approves US$650 million Stand-by Arrangement for Senegal
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the third review under the Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) and approved an 18-month Stand-by arrangement (SBA) and an arrangement under the Stand-By Credit Facility (SCF) for Senegal. Approval of the SCF/SBA enables an immediate disbursement of SDR 129.4 million or about US$187 million. This follows previous Fund emergency support to Senegal in April 2020 in the amount of US$442 million at the time of approval ( see Press Release No. 20/152 ).
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Senegalese economy hard and caused hardship for many, particularly those active in the informal sector. Growth in 2020 is estimated at 1.5 percent, supported by a record harvest while the hospitality, tourism and transport sectors suffered severe contractions. The government’s forceful implementation of an Economic and Social Resilience Program (PRES) helped strengthen the health sector and mitigate households’ and firms’ income losses. A subdued recovery is expected for 2021 with growth reaching about 3.7 percent.
To ensure transparency and accountability of pandemic-related spending, the authorities have published quarterly budget execution reports detailing the use of such resources. The report of the Fonds Force COVID-19 monitoring committee has also been finalized. The annual audit of procurement procedures, including those related to COVID-19 spending, will be finalized end June and the audit court will publish its report on the 2020 budget law implementation in October.
Staff and the authorities agreed on a revised budget deficit trajectory for 2021-23 which incorporates the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a new program to boost youth and women employment. A steadfast implementation of the Medium-Term Revenue Mobilization Strategy and spending reprioritization will provide fiscal space while the overall deficit is expected to return to the WAEMU deficit anchor of 3 percent of GDP by 2023.
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