IMF staff to visit Senegal this week, reflecting progress toward new program

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A street food vendor pushes her cart near Kermel Market in downtown Dakar, Senegal, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

A street food vendor pushes her cart near Kermel Market in downtown Dakar, Senegal, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra

WASHINGTON/DAKAR, Aug 17 - The International Monetary Fund said on Monday that its staff would visit the West African country 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 toward a new lending program for Senegal, and will involve more technical discussions, said a source familiar with the discussions.

• On August 3, an IMF spokesperson told Reuters that "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 program.

• Last week, Senegal's minister-delegate for budget visited China, the country's largest bilateral creditor, two sources told Reuters.

• 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

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