Niger: 2019 Article IV Consultation, Fourth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility, and Requests for Waiver of Nonobservance of a Performance Criterion, Modification of Performance Criteria, and Extension and Rephasing of the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report and Statement by the Executive Director for Niger

IMF Staff Country Reports, July 22, 2019

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Canonical URL: Niger: 2019 Article IV Consultation, Fourth Review Under the Extended Credit Facility, and Requests for Waiver of Nonobservance of a Performance Criterion, Modification of Performance Criteria, and Extension and Rephasing of the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement-Press Release; Staff Report and Statement by the Executive Director for Niger

Program implementation has been broadly satisfactory.
Public finances have been strengthening as planned.
Progress has been made with the implementation of the structural reform agenda.
There have been some slippages in the clearance of domestic payment arrears.
Improving public finances, mobilizing revenues, and improving spending quality remain high on the agenda.
The Article IV consultation focused on:
- Ways to jump-start Niger’s still embryonic local formal private sector.
- How to best foster good governance.
Economic growth strengthened in 2018.
The outlook is promising, supported by the start of several large-scale projects by private investors and development partners.
The review highlights the need to strengthen the formal local private sector to ensure sustainably higher living standards and provide jobs for Niger’s rapidly growing labor force.

Program implementation: broadly satisfactory.
Public finances: strengthening as planned.
Priority agenda items:
- Improve public finances.
- Mobilize revenues.
- Improve spending quality.
Noted weakness: slippages in clearance of domestic payment arrears.

Progress reported on implementation of the structural reform agenda.
Key focus: foster development of the local formal private sector, currently described as embryonic.
Rationale: a stronger formal private sector is needed to:
- Sustainably raise living standards.
- Provide jobs for a rapidly growing labor force.

Economic growth: strengthened in 2018.
Outlook: promising due to the start of several large-scale projects by private investors and development partners.

Subject: Debt sustainability analysis, Expenditure, External debt, Financial sector policy and analysis, Public debt, Stress testing
Keywords: CR, debt, Debt sustainability analysis, deficit, economic growth, ISCR, priority spending, private sector development, reform agenda, Stress testing, welcome effort, West Africa, West African economic union