This paper presents Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 2024 Article IV Consultation, Sixth Review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement, Request for a Waiver of Nonobservance of Quantitative Performance Criterion, and Financing Assurances Review. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has made significant progress under the ECF arrangement, although performance during the sixth review has been constrained by the persistent security and humanitarian crises, fiscal slippage, and ongoing inflationary pressures. The domestic fiscal deficit for 2024 is projected to narrow compared to 2023, as higher mining revenue would help ease pressures from higher security spending and investment. Performance under the program has been generally positive, with most quantitative targets met and key reforms implemented, albeit at a slow pace. The economic outlook remains positive but is subject to substantial downside risks. This calls for continued prudent policies and increasing reform efforts in fiscal and monetary frameworks and in governance.
This paper presents Republic of South Sudan’s 2023 Article IV Consultation, and First and Second Reviews under the Staff-Monitored Program with Board Involvement (PMB). South Sudan is significantly impacted by the war in Sudan, especially from a very large and growing number of refugees, and by a sharp decline in oil production and exports since mid-February 2024 due to damages to the oil pipeline. Article IV discussions focused on putting economic reforms on a sustainable footing, boosting domestic revenue mobilization, enhancing social spending, and implementing governance and transparency reforms to reduce corruption. The extension of the PMB provides time to the authorities to implement corrective actions to bring macroeconomic policies back on track and implement governance reforms; building a strong track record is essential for any financial arrangement with the IMF. In order to help address these challenges, as well as the fallout from the damage to the oil pipeline, the authorities have requested a 3-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Successful completion of the current PMB would help establish track record toward a potential ECF arrangement in the future.
This paper presents Republic of South Sudan’s Third Review under the Staff-Monitored Program, Request for Disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility, and Program Monitoring with Board involvement. About two-thirds of South Sudan’s population is experiencing severe food insecurity, the highest level since independence. Significant reforms have been introduced since the start of the SMP in March 2021, including the unification of the official and parallel exchange rates and increased transparency of oil revenue and government operations. The authorities plan to channel part of the food stock window disbursement via the World Food Programme and International Organization of Migration making use of their systems to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to address food insecurity. In order to help guide their reform agenda aimed at maintaining macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability and improving governance and transparency, the authorities have also requested completion of the existing SMP and a new nine-month Staff Program Monitoring with Board Involvement to lay the ground for an eventual Extended Credit Facility.
International Monetary Fund. African Dept. and International Monetary Fund. Strategy, Policy, & Review Department
South Sudan is a very fragile post-conflict state and one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate-driven disasters. The pandemic reversed the economic recovery that followed the 2018 peace agreement. The oil price shock from the pandemic resulted in a massive loss of revenue, causing the government to run up expenditure arrears and resume monetary financing. This led to sharp exchange rate depreciation and runaway inflation. The policies implemented under a Staff Monitored Program (SMP) that was approved in March 2021 and supported by two disbursements under the RCF (in November 2020 and March 2021) have helped restore macroeconomic stability and eliminate a long-standing system of multiple exchange rates. Higher oil prices have dampened the effects of floods on lower oil production and sustained international reserves in the face of a rising import bill. The sharp rise in global food prices risks is exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan, where 70 percent of the population suffers from acute food insecurity, at a time when aid budgets are being cut.
A 9-month Staff Monitored Program (SMP) combined with a disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) of 50 percent of quota (about US$174 million) was approved on March 30, 2021 to address BOP challenges and build a track record towards an upper credit tranche financial arrangement. This followed a disbursement under the RCF in November 2020 of 15 percent of quota (about US$52 million), which was the first-ever financial disbursement from the Fund to South Sudan. Progress has continued in implementing the revitalized peace agreement of 2018: following the formation of a unity government in February 2020 and the appointment of state governors in June 2020, the national parliament was sworn into office in August 2021. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with about 60 percent of the population facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Sudan, with the support of the international community, is implementing an ambitious reform program to address major macroeconomic imbalances and support sustainable, inclusive growth. A new transitional government was established in the wake of the 2019 revolution with the mandate to carry out sweeping reforms to reverse decades of economic and social decline. The government is pursuing a transformational reform agenda focused on: (i) achieving internal peace based on inclusion, regional equity, and justice; (ii) stabilizing the economy and correcting large macroeconomic imbalances; (iii) providing a foundation for future rapid growth, development, and poverty reduction; and (iv) improving governance and transparency.
South Sudan is a very fragile post-conflict country. After five years of civil conflict, the warring parties came to an agreement for power-sharing in September 2018 and formed a unity government in February 2020. However, peace remains fragile in the face of difficult humanitarian and economic conditions. Already very high levels of poverty and food insecurity have been exacerbated by severe flooding in recent months. The floods (the worst in 60 years) have killed livestock, destroyed food stocks, and damaged crops ahead of the main harvest season. South Sudan’s economy has been hit hard by lower international oil prices following the COVID-19 pandemic.
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Sudan, with the support of the international community, is seeking to implement an ambitious reform program to address major macroeconomic imbalances and support sustainable, inclusive growth. A new transitional government was established in the wake of the 2019 revolution with the mandate to carry out sweeping reforms to reverse decades of economic and social decline. The government is pursuing a transformational reform agenda focused on: (i) achieving internal peace based on inclusion, regional equity, and justice; (ii) stabilizing the economy and correcting the large macroeconomic imbalances; and (iii) providing a foundation for future rapid growth, development, and poverty reduction. The government has achieved important milestones, most prominently a peace agreement with almost all internal armed opposition groups in October 2020 to end 17 years of conflict. It has also agreed to ambitious reforms and policy adjustments in the context of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff Monitored Program (SMP) that meets the Upper Credit Tranche (UCT) conditionality standard and an International Development Association (IDA) Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation. Furthermore, on December 14, 2020, Sudan was officially removed from the United States State Sponsors of Terrorism List (SSTL), ending almost three decades of international isolation. While positive changes are underway, political contestation over power sharing arrangements remains acute. It is critical for Sudan to take advantage of a still favourable political economy to tackle its macroeconomic imbalances and put itself on a sustainable development trajectory.