<\/p>\n
The decision unlocks immediate disbursements of about $8.4 million under the ECF and $14.1 million under the RSF, bringing total funding received under the programmes to nearly $76 million and $35.2 million, respectively.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF also approved a six-month extension of both arrangements, together with an increase in ECF financing to help The Gambia address balance of payments pressures linked to the conflict in the Middle East and rising energy costs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fund said The Gambia\u2019s economic outlook remains broadly positive despite increasing risks from global developments and climate-related shocks. Economic growth is projected to slow from 6% in 2025 to 4.7% in 2026 before stabilising at around 5% over the medium term.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Inflationary pressures have re-emerged due to higher food and energy prices, delaying progress towards the central bank\u2019s inflation target. At the same time, the country remains vulnerable to external shocks and climate-related disruptions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF said authorities plan to tighten fiscal policy in 2026 following spending overruns recorded at the end of 2025. Measures will include stronger revenue mobilisation and tighter expenditure controls aimed at restoring fiscal discipline.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Deputy Managing Director Bo Li said the Gambian economy continues to perform strongly despite a challenging environment. \u201cThe Gambia\u2019s economy continues to grow strongly, while headline inflation rebounded in April following a steady decline, reflecting pressures from higher food and energy costs,\u201d said Li.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Li welcomed the government\u2019s commitment to fiscal consolidation and stressed the importance of maintaining discipline during the upcoming election period.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF also called for continued efforts to safeguard fuel revenues, strengthen public financial management and improve oversight of state-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On monetary policy, the Fund said a tight and data-driven approach remains necessary to contain inflation and preserve external stability. Exchange rate flexibility was also highlighted as an important tool for absorbing external shocks.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF praised progress made under both programmes, noting advances in domestic revenue collection, financial sector supervision, governance reforms and climate resilience initiatives. Fund-supported capacity development programmes have also helped strengthen public financial management, economic statistics and macroeconomic stability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, the IMF urged The Gambia to accelerate structural reforms aimed at improving governance, strengthening anti-corruption measures and creating a more favourable business environment to support private sector-led growth and job creation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Fund said continued implementation of climate-related reforms under the RSF would help build resilience, attract additional financing and support long-term economic stability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–IMF\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30254,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-39009","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved additional financing for The Gambia after completing the fifth review of the country\u2019s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).","published_date":"","news_description":"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved additional financing for The Gambia after completing the fifth review of the country\u2019s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39010,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/39009\/revisions\/39010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=39009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}