By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday lauded recent economic reforms being embarked upon by Zimbabwean authorities as discussions progress on a potential staff-level loan arrangements.
The Fund however said it’s unable to grant approval for fresh lending to Zimbabwe due to the Southern African country’s backlog of debts.
“Zimbabwe’s ability to borrow financially from us is constrained by the fact that they have arrears through the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and other bilateral creditors,” Reuters quoted Abebe Aemro Selassie, head of the IMF’s African Department as saying.
According to Selassie, the global lender has been aiding Zimbabwe through a structured dialogue framework aimed at demonstrating its government’s commitment to sound macroeconomic policies.
“And we are hoping to reach agreement on a staff-monitored program in that context,” Selassie added.
Zimbabwe, which owes approximately $12.2 billion in external arrears, is also seeking to secure $2.6 billion in bridge financing by mid-2026 as part of its broader debt resolution efforts.
A staff-level programme is an informal arrangement between an IMF member country and IMF staff members to monitor the member country’s economic programme without requiring formal endorsement by the IMF’s executive board.
“We are very actively engaged, working with the governor and the minister to find a solution,” Selassie said.
Selassie also commended Zimbabwe’s fiscal and monetary reforms, citing reduced central bank financing as a critical measure to control inflation and stabilize the exchange rate.
Zimbabwe’s finance ministry said its delegation had “fruitful deliberations” with the IMF and World Bank during the annual meetings this week.
It also confirmed that an IMF mission is scheduled to visit Harare, the country’s capital at the end of October to discuss and align on the proposed staff-monitored programme, which the ministry described as “a key priority” for Zimbabwe’s government.
