HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa this afternoon received a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at State House, marking a significant engagement in Zimbabwe’s ongoing economic reform and re-engagement efforts.
The visiting team, led by IMF Mission Chief Mr Wojciech Maliszewski, is in the country to conduct an Article IV Mission, which officially commenced on June 4th and is scheduled to run until June 18th.
Article IV consultations are a routine and comprehensive assessment conducted by the IMF to evaluate a member country’s economic and financial health. These engagements provide a platform for frank dialogue between the Fund and the host government on economic policies, fiscal frameworks, and structural reforms.
The courtesy call on the President is part of broader consultative meetings that the IMF team will hold with senior government officials, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) executives, representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, as well as private sector stakeholders and development partners.
“The IMF Mission has come here for two main purposes one is to have the Article lV consultations and the state of the economy, to talk about the development trajectory, we are also gearing up to present the mid term budget review , as well as the budget strategy paper into next year and think about our macro-economic framework as we move towards NDS 2 and Vision 2030.
Then the second issue is to talk about the Staff Monitoring Program which is a critical step in our arrears clearing road map again we have been discussing how we can maintain the fiscal discipline that we had initiated in the past and make sure that it continues, making sure that stay within our means on expenditure” Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Hon Prof M. Ncube
Speaking after the meeting, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said the President welcomed the IMF’s continued interest in Zimbabwe’s economic trajectory and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing sound economic policies that foster growth, macroeconomic stability, and inclusive development.
The IMF visit comes at a time when Zimbabwe is pursuing a raft of economic reforms under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), aimed at stabilising the macroeconomic environment, improving the business climate, and attracting foreign direct investment.
Zimbabwe remains ineligible for IMF lending due to external debt arrears but maintains regular engagement through technical assistance and surveillance. Analysts say the outcome of the Article IV Mission could influence future decisions regarding Zimbabwe’s economic relations with international financial institutions and creditors.
The IMF is expected to issue a comprehensive report at the conclusion of the mission, highlighting its findings, policy recommendations, and the overall outlook for Zimbabwe’s economy.
