Kenya is confronted with the need to chart a course that attends directly to the
recent public outcry. The widespread protests that started in June and resulted in tragic
loss of lives and injuries were triggered by the authorities’ efforts to correct a large tax
revenue shortfall in FY2023/24 through revenue raising proposals in the 2024 Finance
Bill, some of which were unpopular or seen as regressive. The protests forced the
President to withdraw the Bill, introduce significant spending cuts through a
Supplementary Budget in July, and reconstitute the Cabinet in August. Persistent
difficulties in mobilizing revenue coupled with spending rigidities have led to a further
accumulation of pending bills, and necessitated deep cuts in development spending,
with potential for knock-on effects on growth and debt sustainability. Against this
backdrop, preceded by large exogenous shocks (COVID-19, global developments
impacting import price and affordable access to market finance, and severe multi-season
droughts), the authorities face a complex and difficult balancing act: meeting critical
spending needs for priority areas (social programs, health, and education), servicing
large upcoming debt obligations, and boosting domestic revenues. Earlier in the year,
Kenya addressed the exceptional balance of payments (BoP) needs associated with
repayment of the June 2024 US$2 billion Eurobond, boosting market confidence that
helped strengthen the shilling and build reserves. Meanwhile, fiscal pressures continue,
including from uncertainty surrounding the constitutionality of the 2023 Finance Act on
which the Supreme Court’s decision is awaited.
The Government of Seychelles is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and climate resilience, as demonstrated by its decision to prioritize climate as one of the six key areas in the National Development Strategy for 2024-2028 and through the agreements made under the IMF's Resilience and Sustainability Facility, established in May 2023. A central component of these efforts is the identification of climate-related expenditures. This report outlines the development and phased implementation of a Climate Budget Tagging (CBT) framework in Seychelles. CBT is a tailored process that involves identifying, measuring, and monitoring climate-relevant spending across government, serving as a powerful tool to integrate climate change considerations into the budget cycle. By emphasizing the importance of climate change in resource allocation and execution, CBT enhances the government's ability to prioritize climate action, with the ultimate goal of ensuring alignment with Seychelles' climate commitments and Nationally Determined Contributions.
Lithuania’s immediate fiscal challenges are national security and higher costs of borrowing, but fiscal prospects are further exacerbated by long-term pressures stemming from climate change and a shrinking and aging population. The country has experienced a rapidly decreasing population—from 3.7 million in 1991 to 2.8 million in 2023—and its old-age dependency ratio is consequently expected to increase from 33 percent in 2023 to 53.4 percent by 2050. The resulting long-term spending pressures are projected to amount to as much as 11.2 percent of GDP, which is about 30 percent of the current level of spending. Debt sustainability concerns would not allow financing additional spending with more debt. Hence, a comprehensive strategy will help address these long-term fiscal challenges, including tax policy changes to raise additional revenue while primarily reducing expenditure needs through pension and healthcare reforms.