The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday it had discussed various options with Senegal to address the country’s “significant debt vulnerabilities,” adding a decision on whether to overhaul the debt rests with the government.
The IMF froze a $1.8 billion financial support package for the West African economy last year after a then-new government disclosed hidden debts that are now estimated at more than $11 billion.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said over the weekend that Fund officials were pushing for a restructuring of Senegal’s debt – a move he said the government would not accept.
A discussion of the policy choices that Senegal faces, during a staff mission to Dakar that ended last week, was part of the IMF’s role to offer expert analysis and advice for government consideration, a Fund spokesperson said.
Reuters/Shakirat Sadiq
