The IMF said the programme was designed to improve the ability of Mauritanian authorities to produce consistent, policy-relevant public debt projections and analysis.
The technical assistance project was implemented by the IMF’s Institute for Capacity Development between January 2024 and January 2025 at the request of the Ministry of Finance.
The programme worked with Mauritania’s National Committee on Public Debt (CNDP), the inter-institutional body responsible for coordinating debt policy, debt sustainability analysis and public debt reporting.
According to the IMF, the project was introduced to address weaknesses in debt projections and improve the integration of risk analysis into policy discussions.
Mauritania faces fiscal and debt vulnerabilities linked to dependence on export revenues from iron ore, gold, and gas, exposure to recurring droughts and floods, and reliance on external financing.
The IMF said these conditions make strong debt projection tools essential for fiscal planning and debt management.
As part of the programme, the IMF introduced and customised its Public Debt Dynamics Tool for Mauritania’s resource-rich economy. The tool separates extractive and non-extractive components of the primary balance to better account for volatility in commodity revenues.
The Natural Disaster Debt Dynamics Tool was also applied to assess the fiscal impact of climate and commodity price shocks.
Through training, workshops and technical exchanges, officials strengthened capacity to prepare public debt reports covering baseline projections, fiscal adjustment scenarios and shock simulations.
The IMF said the project also improved institutional coordination by clarifying responsibilities for data provision, macroeconomic assumptions and debt reporting.
The Directorate of Public Debt and the Macro-Budgetary Forecasting and Steering Unit have committed to regularly integrating the new debt analysis into CNDP policymaking.
This will include a structured schedule for debt sustainability analysis linked to the budget cycle, standardised data inputs and defined institutional responsibilities.
The IMF said historical real-sector data will be sourced from ANSADE and the Treasury, while the Macro-Budgetary Forecasting and Steering Unit will provide macroeconomic and fiscal projections.
Debt stock figures and interest payment data will be compiled by the Directorate of Public Debt, which will also coordinate inputs from participating agencies.
To preserve institutional knowledge, authorities developed user manuals for the debt tools and committed experienced staff to train new technical team members at least twice a year.
The IMF said these measures should help Mauritania strengthen long-term public debt management, improve fiscal planning and better respond to economic and climate-related shocks.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
