Washington, DC: A staff team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Mr. Camilo E. Tovar, conducted a virtual mission from March 23 to April 1st, 2026, to assess progress under Haiti’s program. SMPs are informal agreements between country authorities and the IMF to monitor the implementation of the authorities’ economic program and build a track record of policy implementation that could pave the way for financial assistance from the IMF’s upper credit tranche (UCT). Haiti’s SMP is tailored to Haiti’s context of acute security challenges, institutional fragility, and capacity constraints. It supports the authorities’ economic policy priorities, including stabilizing the economy, strengthening governance, and reinforcing the social safety net. Engagement with the authorities will continue over the coming weeks.
At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. Tovar issued the following statement:
“Haiti is facing an increasingly challenging macroeconomic environment shaped by persistent insecurity and recurrent domestic and external shocks. The oil price shock stemming from the war in the Middle East has emerged as a major headwind, significantly raising the fuel import bill and implicit subsidy cost, and aggravating an already weak fiscal position. These pressures add to the impact of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, which disrupted economic activity and exacerbated humanitarian needs, and are taking place amid an ongoing fragile political transition, that would allow the country to organize elections later this year—the first in a decade.
“Real GDP contracted for a seventh consecutive year in FY2025. Inflation has eased rapidly in recent months, reaching 22.1 percent year-on-year—after peaking at about 32 percent year at end FY2025—and is expected to remain elevated. Against the backdrop of weak economic activity and heightened uncertainty, financial intermediation has continued to contract. Retrenchment in bank lending and financial disintermediation have contributed to improvements in non‑performing loan ratios, while capital adequacy ratios remain well above regulatory minimums.
“Despite a deteriorating external environment, international reserve buffers remain adequate. Higher international oil prices are weighing on the external position, but these pressures are partly offset by strong remittance inflows despite the uncertainty surrounding the potential extension of Haitian’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States. As a result, the current account is expected to remain broadly balanced in FY2026. Gross international reserves are projected to reach about US$3.4 billion at end FY2026—over seven months of prospective imports of goods and services. The nominal exchange rate has remained broadly stable, which given the high level of inflation, has contributed to an appreciation of the real exchange rate.
“Fiscal policy remains constrained by persistent security challenges, institutional weaknesses, and limited policy space. Revenue performance in FY2026 has been weak, reflecting disruptions to economic activity due to security conditions, administrative fragilities, and institutional paralysis triggered by the termination of the Transitional Presidential Council’s mandate. Higher international oil prices are expected to add further pressure through higher implicit subsidy costs. Budget execution has remained uneven amid capacity constraints and heightened uncertainty. These developments have sharpened policy trade-offs and underscore the importance of prioritizing spending while safeguarding support for the most vulnerable.
“Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside. A further deterioration in security conditions, together with persistently higher global oil prices, could further strain economic activity, aggravate humanitarian conditions through higher food prices, and intensify fiscal pressures. Potential shifts in foreign immigration policies could slow remittance inflows, with adverse implications for the external position. On the upside, the deployment of the Gang Suppression Force —supported by the newly established United Nations Support Office for Haiti—could help restore confidence and support economic activity.
“All program targets were met at end-December 2025. Reserve accumulation has been strong with net international reserves reaching USD 1.76 billion in December 2025. The revenue, primary balance, and social spending targets all remained on track. The monetary financing target was also met despite an increasingly constrained fiscal space. The reform agenda—covering governance, public financial management, safeguards, and data provision—continues to advance, albeit with delays in some areas.
The SMP will continue to emphasize the following priorities:
“Strengthening governance to address fragility and rebuild trust in public institutions. Reforms anchored in the Governance Diagnostic Report aim to improve the integrity and effectiveness of public institutions, including more transparent management of public finances, stronger safeguards in revenue administration, and more effective mechanisms to deter and address corruption, organized crime, and illicit financial activities. Efforts to further strengthen the anti‑money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism framework—including through the publication of the recently concluded national risk assessment and closing remaining gaps—are also critical to reinforcing financial integrity and supporting Haiti’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list.
“Stepping up revenue mobilization efforts given Haiti’s low revenue base and large security and development needs. Higher international oil prices are straining fiscal space, reinforcing the importance of accelerating tax and customs administration reforms, including operationalizing the new tax code, strengthening the digital infrastructure, and improving compliance—particularly among large taxpayers. The authorities’ decision to increase domestic fuel prices at the pump will reduce foregone revenues resulting from the oil price shock. IMF staff reiterates the importance of reinforcing measures to protect the most vulnerable, including by leveraging the remaining resources from the IMF 2023 Food Shock Window. Staff welcomes the new decree putting in place a more predictable framework for domestic fuel price setting. At the same time, staff stresses the importance of ensuring that this fuel price setting framework is accompanied by a well-prepared communication strategy to ensure public support.
“Improving budget execution to ensure that limited public resources are effectively directed toward priority social, humanitarian, and security spending amid rising needs. In line with the recommendation from one of the most recent IMF Technical Assistance, this requires stronger cash management, tighter commitment controls, and better preparation and prioritization of public investment projects. These reforms are also critical to ensure the timely and effective delivery of public assistance, strengthen social spending execution, and safeguard support to vulnerable households. Together, they will help improve spending efficiency, improve the management of fiscal risks, and enable public spending to better support development and reconstruction efforts in a constrained environment.
“Consolidating the central bank’s policy framework and credibility. The Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) remains committed to preserving price and exchange rate stability. This commitment continues to underpin macroeconomic performance and reinforces policy credibility under the SMP. Exchange rate stability has provided an important nominal anchor for the economy which continues to be supported by a prudent and sustained accumulation of international reserves. Governance at the central bank has been strengthened through the adoption of a new reserve management framework, including updated investment policies and guidelines that better align reserve management with safety and liquidity objectives.
“Enhancing the regulatory and supervisory frameworks in the financial system. The authorities are making progress in strengthening risk‑based banking supervision, including through the continued rollout of on‑site inspections and enhancements to off‑site monitoring of banks’ risk profiles. Efforts are underway to operationalize the new supervisory framework, integrate risk‑assessment tools into the BRH’s supervisory architecture, and finalize a new chart of accounts for financial institutions. These reforms are intended to safeguard financial stability and reinforce the resilience of the banking system amid a challenging operating environment.
“Improving data quality and timeliness. Having completed the audit and publication of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti’s FY2023 financial statements, work is underway to start the FY2024 financial statements audit. Continued implementation of the recommendations of the safeguards assessment will further reinforce governance and risk‑management practices at the central bank. Efforts are also progressing to strengthen data reporting frameworks, including advances toward the International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity template and improvements in external sector statistics in line with IMF technical assistance. Further progress in aligning government finance statistics with international Government Finance Statistics standards and bringing the reporting of financial soundness indicators in line with international methodologies will help strengthen fiscal reporting and reinforce financial oversight.
“Collaborating with development partners to manage elevated fiscal risks and preserve macroeconomic stability, and the reform agenda. Amid heightened oil price pressures, there is an increasing risk that financing gaps could translate into domestic debt accumulation, undermining the public sector’s balance sheet. External support should be provided primarily in the form of grants rather than non‑concessional borrowing. Together with rigorous appraisal and transparency requirements for donor‑financed operations, this support would help safeguard the public sector balance sheet, consolidate progress achieved under the program, and support a durable recovery that improves living conditions for the Haitian people. In line with the Fund Strategy for Fragile and Conflict-Affected States, IMF staff will continue to collaborate closely with Haiti’s main development partners, particularly on governance and strengthening institutional capacity.
The IMF staff team met with the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Serge Gabriel Collin, the Governor of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti, Mr. Ronald Gabriel, and other senior government officials. The mission expresses gratitude to the Haitian authorities for their strong cooperation and the open, constructive discussions throughout the engagement.
