The Minister of economy, Adama Coulibaly

Due to the pandemic in coronavirus (Covid-19), the seventh (7th) and eighth (8th) combined reviews for the evaluation of the Economic and Financial Programme supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Extended Credit Facility (MEDC ), for the period 2016-2020 will take place by video-conference from 15 September to 1 October 2020 between the representatives of Côte d'Ivoire and the International Monetary Fund team (FMI) in charge of the Ivorian file

We learn that the International Monetary Fund (FMI) has expressed its satisfaction with Côte d'Ivoire's budget deficit below 3% despite Covid-19.

the exchanges will focus on topics already discussed during previous missions, namely, inter alia, the implementation of the 2019-2020 programme and budget, including the 2020 Amending Finance Law; the financial situation of public undertakings, including the energy sector and social security funds; the budgeted outlook 2021, including tax reform measures; the Government's Social Programme; and the implementation of the Covid-19 economic response plan. Finally, the Minister Adama Coulibaly welcomed the achievements of the program since 2016, marked in particular by the improvement of the business climate and governance, and the creation of the budgetary margins of manoeuvre necessary for public investment.

For her part, speaking from Washington, Ms. Céline Allard affirmed that her wish was to be, with her team, in Côte d'Ivoire as part of this mission of the FMI, but the circumstances due to the coronavirus  did not allow it. "We will do everything possible so that this mission can take place in the same conditions as if we were in Abidjan," she said.

The head of mission of the FMI also stressed that this is the last review of this program which was extended by one year last December. Initially, she recalled, the objectives of the programme were divided into three axes: macroeconomic stability focused on anchoring the convergence of budgetary criteria within the WAEMU, balanced and sustainable debt management in order to preserve a moderate risk of over-indebtedness and all a set of structural reforms to improve the business climate.