Maputo, Sept. 10, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique's government expects to finalise an assistance programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of the year, in accordance with the timetable agreed between the two parties, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on Thursday.
Finance Minister Carla Loveira has met with the IMF delegation, which began its working visit to Mozambique on Wednesday, for technical negotiations on a potential financial support programme for the country, the statement added.
The ministry states in the press release that it «hopes this mission will lay the foundations for the conclusion of the Staff Level Agreement and its formal approval by the IMF Executive Board by the end of 2026, in accordance with the previously discussed timetable».
At the meeting, the minister «acknowledged that, although the economic situation is showing signs of recovery», the treasury continues to manage liquidity challenges, which present opportunities to enhance budget implementation and ensure timely debt servicing», the statement added.
However, the government remains «committed to creating the conditions to implement the measures in the fiscal consolidation package, in line with what was presented during the 2026 mission».
This mission will run until 18 September 2024 in Maputo, «as part of technical discussions aimed at negotiating a potential programme under the Extended Credit Facility» (ECF), an IMF concessional financing mechanism designed for low-income countries.
The IMF delegation, led by Pablo López Murphy, will meet with various ministries, the Bank of Mozambique, private-sector representatives, and financial institutions.
In the statement released today, the Ministry of Finance noted that the head of mission stated at the meeting that he «hopes the discussions will be positive» and that he «made it clear» that the IMF «intends to examine in greater depth the latest fiscal developments, the debt management strategy, the macroeconomic framework and improvements to economic policy, which will underpin the potential future programme under the ECF».
«The government is fully convinced of Mozambique's medium-term potential, particularly given the reforms and the benefits that the LNG projects will bring to our economy, reinforced by the relaunch, on 1 January 2026, of the TotalEnergies Mozambique LNG project and by our recent removal from the FATF's grey list,» the statement noted.
This mission comes some three months after the IMF confirmed it had held initial discussions with Mozambican authorities about a formal request for financial support.
At the end of that visit in June, López Murphy, who also led that mission, stated that the team had discussed with the Government «its request for a Fund-supported programme» and that it would return to Maputo «in the coming months» to examine the request and the authorities' economic policy plans in greater depth.
He explained that the talks had focused on measures aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and public debt sustainability, including strengthening the fiscal position, protecting the most vulnerable groups, strengthening monetary and exchange rate policy, preserving financial stability and improving governance.
The IMF noted at the time that Mozambique was navigating a challenging economic environment, characterised by moderate growth, accelerating inflation, fiscal and debt vulnerabilities, as well as constraints on access to foreign exchange, and highlighted opportunities to mitigate risks associated with rising international prices for fuel and fertilisers and the impacts of recent climate-related shocks on the national economy.
In March, Mozambique made an early repayment of $698.6 million to the IMF, corresponding to loans taken out under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT); the government presented this as a sign of prudent public-finance management and a restoration of market confidence.
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