News

Five Charts That Illustrate COVID-19’s Impact on the Middle East and Central Asia

The Middle East and Central Asia countries acted quickly and decisively in response to COVID-19. Despite their efforts, the pandemic has inflicted heavy economic damage on the region. Growth projections have been revised down since the April 2020 Regional Economic Outlook, the IMF says in its latest update to the report.

IMF Executive Board approves $99 million disbursement under the Rapid Financing Instrument to Mongolia to address the COVID-19 pandemic

This emergency financial assistance will help support foreign exchange reserves, create fiscal space for essential pandemic-related expenditure, and catalyze donor support.

IMF Executive Board approves a $220 Million disbursement to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to address the COVID-19 pandemic

The IMF Executive Board approved Afghanistan’s request for emergency assistance under the Rapid Credit Facility.

Greening growth in Mongolia

Mongolia’s livestock industry, once the primary engine of the economy, now faces threats from climate change and overgrazing. Without prompt policy action, the national and regional costs will continue to grow, weighing on both economic growth and inequality.

The Caucasus and Central Asia: Time for Decisive Action

The economies in the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) are recovering supported by improving economic conditions in their main trading partners, higher commodity prices, and reforms taking hold, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) 2017 CCA Regional Economic Outlook.

Need for reforms intensifies amid weak growth in Caucasus, Central Asia

The Caucasus and Central Asia is embarking on one of its slowest economic recoveries since independence, the IMF announced, as the region continues to battle the effects of a number of large and persistent external shocks

Azerbaijan’s opportunity to reboot, diversify economy

Growth in Azerbaijan fell to 1.1 percent in 2015, and is expected to decrease further in 2016 as the country copes with the large decline in oil prices, cuts in public investment, currency depreciations, and the slowdown in trading partners’ economies, said the IMF in its latest assessment.