This paper presents Central African Republic's First Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, Requests for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria, Modification of Quantitative Performance Criteria, Rephasing of Access, and Financing Assurances Review. Program...

This paper presents Central African Republic's (CAR) 2023 Article IV Consultation and Request for a 38-Month Arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The ECF-supported program will help meet CAR's protracted balance of payments needs, sustain priority spending on basic public...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Context: The March 24, 2013, seizing of power by a coalition of rebels (Séléka) triggered a political and security crisis that resulted in a sharp contraction of economic activity, budgetary pressures, widespread destruction of administrative and economic infrastructures, a...

This Selected Issues paper on the fintech and crypto assets in the Central African Republic (CAR). CAR's initial steps in the form of the 2022 crypto law have created legal uncertainties at the Central African Economic and Monetary Community level and raised numerous concerns but some of the...

The fragile security environment has improved following the attempt by armed groups to seize power at the turn of the year 2021. The reopening of the Douala-Bangui corridor reinvigorated activity and curbed inflationary pressures. The third Covid-19 wave is receding, but vaccination has been...

São Tomé and Príncipe has maintained macroeconomic stability, despite many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated long-standing socio-economic vulnerabilities, which were further compounded by persistent energy shortages and damages from the floods in end-2021. Growth declined in 2021...

Zimbabwe experienced severe exogenous shocks (cyclone Idai, protracted drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic) during 2019-20, which along with policy missteps in 2019, led to a deep recession and high inflation. Real GDP contracted cumulatively by 11.7 percent during 2019-20 and inflation reached...

This paper discusses Chad’s First Review Under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement, Request for Waivers of Nonobservance of Performance Criteria (PC), and Request for Modification of PC, and Augmentation of Access. Performance under the ECF supported program was broadly satisfactory...

KEY ISSUES Background. The Gambian economy is facing urgent balance of payments needs triggered mostly by the impact of the regional Ebola outbreak on tourism. Although the country remains Ebola free, the regional outbreak is expected to cut by more than half tourism receipts for the 2014/15...

In August 2023, Gabon underwent a major political transition after a coup d'état had overthrown a decades-long regime. Despite multiple reform attempts, years of poorly managed oil wealth, weak inclusion, and stagnant incomes fragilized the political and socio-economic environment in the runup...