Food aid in Isinya, Kenya: some African countries will depend critically on donors honoring aid commitments, IMF report says (photo: Radhu Sigeti/Reuters)
IMPACT OF CRISIS ON AFRICA
The IMF released its assessment of the impact of the global economic and financial crisis on Africa on the eve of a major conference March 10–11 in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam about Africa’s future.
The downturn in global growth, the decline in most commodity prices, and tighter credit have significantly worsened the economic outlook for sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF assessment said. “Risks are rising and how long the crisis will last is uncertain. Policymakers must walk a tightrope between not aggravating the shock in aggregate demand on the one side, while protecting hard-won gains in economic fundamentals on the other.”
Reversing trend
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa had enjoyed robust economic growth in recent years that strengthened their balance sheets. Sound economic policies were an important factor, as was the favorable external environment and increased external support in the form of debt relief and higher inflows.
But the food and fuel price shocks of 2007–08 that preceded the current global financial crisis weakened the external position of net importers of food and fuel, caused inflation to accelerate, and dampened growth prospects. The global financial crisis greatly compounds the policy challenges confronting the region as it strives to consolidate its economic gains and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
How the crisis is affecting Africa
• Frontier and emerging markets. Through their financial links with other regions in the world, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya were hit first, suffering falling equity markets, capital flow reversals, and pressures on exchange rates. Ghana and Kenya had to postpone planned borrowing, and in South Africa and Nigeria external financing for corporations and banks is becoming scarce.
• Across Africa. The global slowdown in economic activity has pushed commodity prices down, with negative effects on export earnings and the external current account, fiscal revenues, and household incomes. Commodity exporters face a major terms of trade deterioration. IMF research shows that in the past a 1 percentage point slowdown in global growth has led to an estimated ½ percentage point slowdown in sub-Saharan Africa. The effects may be more pronounced this time because the tightening of global credit compounds the impact of the slowdown, exacerbating risks for trade finance and other capital flows.
• Fragile states whose political and social situation is inherently vulnerable. Countries like Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, and Liberia are dependent on very concessional financing that may well be affected.
The IMF said any policy response must take into account the impact on the poor and seek to incorporate social safety nets. Countries that do not have debt sustainability and financing constraints may have some scope for fiscal easing.
Honoring commitments
But it is also clear that countries would depend critically on donors honoring their aid commitments, and even increasing aid levels, despite new competing demands on their own budgets. The IMF itself is moving fast to increase financial support to affected countries, step up technical assistance, and reinforce the policy dialogue with its African members.
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, in Tanzania to attend conference, speaks at University of Dar es Salaam March 9 (photo: Stephen Jaffe/IMF)
