IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will grant an emergency fund to the Congolese government to fight against the health crisis linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19), an official source said in Brazzaville on Wednesday.
Its resident-representative, Alun Thomas, said the exact amount will be decided early 2021 by the latest.
According to the IMF Official, the emergency aid is also meant to fight against floods affecting the northern parts of Congo.
“The emergency releases do not put the stress on the structural landmarks and quantity indicators, but they take into consideration the mid-term stable macroeconomic frameworks.
“I am very hopeful that the discussions will result in positive outcomes,” he said in an interview with the Congolese minister of Finances and Budget, Calixte Nganongo, in the presence of his colleague of Budget, Ludovic Ngatsé.
Questioned on the continuation of the programme for macroeconomic reforms concluded with Congo in July 2019, the representative of the Bretton Woods institution said discussions on this issue will resume after the emergency aid.
“The health crisis complicated further the implementation of the programme for macroeconomic reforms. For now, the priorities are orientated towards emergency releases, as the programme takes much more time,” Thomas said.
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“We have been waiting for this aid for more than six months. For now, discussions are progressing positively, with the hope to end successfully by some time. The amount depends on the IMF board of governors. If we have more chances, otherwise it will be for by the end of this year, if not next year,” Ngatsé said.
In another development, at the social level, about 100 villages of the department of Likouala, north of the country, have been affected by the floods caused by heavy rains.
At least 4,000 persons are homeless. Against this extra crisis, the Congolese government has appealed for aid from development partners and declared the state of humanitarian emergency. (PANA/NAN).
