The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that its staff will visit Senegal from August 19 to September 1 to continue discussions on economic policies and reforms that could be supported by a new lending arrangement.
The two-week mission by a full IMF team signals progress towards a potential new programme for the West African country and is expected to involve more detailed technical discussions, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
The IMF said its staff would continue engaging with Senegalese authorities as the country works towards establishing a framework for a new lending programme.
The planned visit follows an earlier indication from the Fund that it was ready to resume discussions.
On August 3, an IMF spokesperson told Reuters that IMF staff were prepared to visit Senegal as soon as the authorities indicated they were ready for the next phase of negotiations.
The latest mission is also part of efforts to resolve a debt misreporting issue disclosed in 2024, which resulted in the suspension of Senegal’s previous IMF programme.
Senegal’s newly elected leaders revealed in 2024 that the country’s debt burden was significantly larger than previously reported, prompting the IMF to suspend its existing programme and demand greater clarity over the country’s public finances.
The debt discrepancy has since become a central issue in discussions between Senegal and the Fund.
The upcoming mission comes shortly after Senegal stepped up engagement with China, its largest bilateral creditor.
The country’s minister-delegate for budget visited China last week as Senegal continued efforts to address its debt challenges, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Senegal and the IMF have been working on the debt issue since 2024, when the new government disclosed substantial discrepancies in previously reported fiscal and debt figures.
A successful resolution could pave the way for a new IMF-supported programme and provide Senegal with additional financing and policy support as the government seeks to stabilise public finances.
The talks are expected to focus on the country’s fiscal position, debt sustainability, economic reforms and measures required to restore confidence in Senegal’s financial management.
The IMF mission will run until September 1, with discussions expected to determine the next steps towards a potential new lending arrangement.
