IMF visit Senegal this week reflects progress towards new programme

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday its staff would visit Senegal from August 19 to September 1 to continue discussions on policies and reforms that could be supported by a new lending arrangement.

The two-week visit by a full IMF team reflects progress towards a new lending programme for the West African country and will involve more technical discussions, said a source familiar with the discussions.

On August 3, an IMF spokesperson said: “IMF staff stand ready to visit as soon as the authorities indicate they are prepared for the next phase of discussions.”

The visit will be the latest to help resolve a debt misreporting issue disclosed in 2024 that led to a freeze in the previous IMF programme.

Last week, Senegal’s minister-delegate for budget visited China, the country’s largest bilateral creditor, two sources said.

Senegal and the IMF have been working on the debt issue since 2024, when the country’s then-newly elected leaders disclosed a far larger debt pile than previously reported.

Reuters