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Middle East and Central Asia > Mauritania, Islamic Republic of

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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: First Reviews Under the Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility, Requests for Modification of Performance Criteria and a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion, and Request for an Arrangement Under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This paper highlights Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s First Reviews under the Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Requests for Modification of Performance Criteria and a Waiver of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion, and Request for an Arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). Mauritania’s economic reform program supported by the IMF ECF/EFF arrangements aims to preserve macroeconomic stability, strengthen the fiscal and monetary policy frameworks, consolidate the foundations for sustainable, inclusive growth, and reduce poverty. Economic performance in 2022 has been positive, with robust real gross domestic product growth, decreasing inflation, and a narrowing current account deficit. Still, challenges related to infrastructure, governance, vulnerability to economic shocks and limited economic diversification constrain Mauritania’s economic development. The RSF arrangement will help build resilience to climate change and strengthen the policy framework to maximize synergies with other official financing and catalyze private financing. The RSF arrangement will support Mauritania’s efforts to strengthen its resilience to climate shocks, enhance its capacity to protect the vulnerable against climate shocks, and expedite the transition toward cleaner energy sources.
Keywords:
RSF arrangement; intervention budget; Tekavoul program; economic reform; climate resilience; RSF request; climate agenda; Climate change; Currency markets; Global; Middle East; West Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
République islamique de Mauritanie: Rapport D’assistance Technique-Diagnostic de la Gouvernance
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
,
International Monetary Fund. Legal Dept.
,
International Monetary Fund. Monetary and Capital Markets Department
, and
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
À la demande des autorités de la République islamique de Mauritanie (la « Mauritanie »), une mission interdépartementale (département juridique/département des finances publiques/département monétaire et des marchés de capitaux/département financier) d’évaluation diagnostique de la gouvernance (« EDG ») a été effectuée du 6 décembre 2021 au 3 juin 2022. Conformément au cadre pour un renforcement de l’action du FMI en matière de gouvernance (2018)1, l’évaluation diagnostique a porté sur les faiblesses de la gouvernance et les vulnérabilités à la corruption (L’on utilisera le terme défis de gouvernance pour le reste du document) dans les domaines prioritaires et macro-critiques suivants : i) la gouvernance et les opérations de la banque centrale ; ii) la surveillance du secteur financier ; iii) la lutte contre le blanchiment de capitaux et le financement du terrorisme (LBC/FT) ; iv) la gouvernance budgétaire (par exemple, la gestion des finances publiques, l’administration des recettes (y compris douanières), la gestion des ressources naturelles, les marchés publics et l’audit) ; v) l’exécution des contrats et la protection des droits de propriété, et ; vi) les cadres juridiques et institutionnels, ainsi que les stratégies de LCC.
Keywords:
gouvernance; corruption; contre la corruption; les conflits d'intérêts; impunité; la transparence; bénéficiaires effectifs; marchés publics; manque de transparence; République islamique de Mauritanie.
Cover High-Level Summary Technical Assistance Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Climate Public Investment Management Assessment
Mr. Fazeer Sheik Rahim
,
Sylke von Thadden-Kostopoulos
, and
Clemens Mungenast
Mauritania is working to improve its public investment management framework to boost the efficiency of public investment and to make it more adaptable to climate change. support future economic growth and improvements in wellbeing. This assessment applies the IMF Climate Public Investment Management Assessment (CPIMA) framework and updates an earlier Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA) undertaken in 2020. It finds that there have been improvements in Mauritania’s public investment management institutions since 2020, while room remains for further improvement. Like most other countries, Mauritania is at an early stage of incorporating climate aspects into public investment management. Nevertheless, some good progress has been made, notably on the planning side. This assessment provides a progressive timetable for reforms, based on international good practice, striking a balance between the stated objectives of the authorities and the existing capacities within the public administration.
Keywords:
Public investment; climate change; public finance
Cover IMF Working Papers
Informality, Labor Market Dynamics, and Business Cycles in North Africa
Olivier Bizimana
and
Shant Arzoumanian
Employment informality is widespread across North Africa. This paper aims to shed light on the role played by the informal sector in labor market adjustments over the business cycle. It finds that the response of labor markets to output fluctuations is more muted in countries with higher informality levels, like the North African economies. The analysis also confirms that informal employment is countercyclical and acts as a buffer during economic downturns in countries with relatively higher informality. However, contrary to what took place in past recessions, informal employment contracted sharply during the 2020 pandemic recession in high informality economies, suggesting that it did not play its traditional countercyclical role. By contrast, employment informality tends to fall modestly or increase during economic upturns, including the post-pandemic recovery. This finding presages the persistence of a large informal sector in the post-covid era in medium- and high-informality countries.
Keywords:
Informality; Labor Markets; Business cycles; Okun’s Law; employment informality; labor market dynamics; business cycles in North Africa; informality economy; law coefficients from panel regression; product market rigidity; Informal employment; Employment; Economic recession; Labor force participation; North Africa
Cover Selected Issues Papers
Nigeria’s Tax Revenue Mobilization: Lessons from Successful Revenue Reform Episodes: Nigeria
Il Jung
This paper has identified four episodes of large and sustained revenue mobilizations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and found common lessons from the episodes. Although there is no one-size-fits-all strategy, we can find a tax reform path suitable to Nigeria’s circumstances. Based on these cross-country experiences, this paper recommends: (i) implementing a package reform of tax administration and tax policy measures; (ii) focusing mainly on indirect tax (VAT and excise) reforms and tax incentive rationalizations; (iii) undertaking tax administration measures for improving compliance by strengthening taxpayer segmentation and automation; and (iv) launching social dialogue with key stakeholders as well as high-level political commitment.
Keywords:
undertaking tax administration; tax revenue mobilization; package reform; Nigeria's tax reform; tax incentive rationalization; Excises; Value-added tax; Consumption taxes; Tax administration core functions; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
Personal Income Taxes in the Middle East and North Africa: Prospects and Possibilities
Mario Mansour
and
Eric M. Zolt
Personal income taxes (PITs) play little or no role in the Middle East and North Africa, often yielding less than 2 percent of GDP in revenue—with the exception of few North African countries. This paper examines how PITs have evolved in recent decades, and what they might look like in the next 20 years. Top marginal tax rates on labor and business income of individuals have declined substantially, a trend that mirrors reductions in advanced and developing economies. Taxation of passive capital income has changed very little, and the revenue intake from this source remains low throughout the region (less than 1 percent of GDP on average and concentrated in oil-importing non-fragile states). Social security contributions (SSC) have increased in importance in nearly all MENA countries, and some countries have introduced additional payroll taxes. The combination of reduced marginal tax rates, light taxation of income from capital and business activities, and increase of SSC, have resulted in income tax systems that create disincentives to work and incentives for informality, and contribute little to government revenue and income redistribution. Given differences in economic and political structures, demographics, and starting points, the path to PIT/SSC reforms will vary across the region. Countries with relatively mature PIT/SSC systems, where revenue performance has improved in the past two decades, will increasingly need to balance the revenue and equity objectives against effciency objectives (in particular labor market incentives and infromality). Countries with no PITs will have to weigh whether a consumption tax/SSC system that mimic a flat tax on labor income is sufficient to diversify revenue away from oil and whether to adopt PITs to address rising income and wealth inequality. Finally, fragile states, who face more political volatility and weaker fiscal institutions, will have to focus on simplicity of tax design and collection to be able to raise revenue from PITs.
Keywords:
Personal income taxes; social security contributions; payroll taxes; fragile and conflict states; Middle East and North Africa; Gulf-Cooperation Council; SSC reform; SSC system; revenue performance; PIT objective; PIT revenue; Personal income tax; Income tax systems; Income; Income and capital gains taxes; Corporate income tax; North Africa; Middle East; East Africa; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Nigeria: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
This Selected Issues paper presents stylized facts about food insecurity in Nigeria, investigates its drivers in a cross-country setting, and assesses the role of policies. The paper describes regional aspects of Nigeria’s food insecurity and compares the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 and the war in Ukraine on food security in Nigeria and other countries. It also provides an overview of agricultural production and consumption in Nigeria. The paper investigates the drivers of food security using an empirical cross-country framework including demand, supply, and price factors, and offers thoughts on policies to improve agricultural yields and production. The important role of inputs is evident in the policy experience of comparator countries. Nigeria has achieved a substantial increase in agricultural production associated with its policies but some have been less successful. Import dependency for key staples has not fallen and the cost of these agricultural products remains driven by international prices. Further, central bank credit to the agricultural sector has not succeeded in increasing production beyond the stimulus of high rainfall and high food prices.
Keywords:
EIU FOOD INSECURITY index; World wheat price inflation; tax revenue mobilization; food supply; fuel subsidy reform; food price inflation; Mobile banking; Financial inclusion; Food security; Excises; Global; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: 2022 Article IV Consultation and Request for 42-Month Arrangements under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Volatile commodity prices and a tightly managed exchange rate (ER) have led to boom and bust cycles with significant impacts on the public and financial sectors. While the previous Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement (December 2017—March 2021) has helped maintain macroeconomic stability, the pandemic has delayed structural reform implementation and widened the gap to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, surging international commodity prices since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine have deteriorated the external and fiscal balances and led to inflationary pressures and food insecurity. In March 2021, the authorities requested a successor arrangement to support accelerated implementation of their national development strategy, help increase social and infrastructure spending, and improve governance and the business environment.
Keywords:
development effort; Medium-term policy priority; Mauritanian authorities; commodity price movement; IMF arrangement; AIV policy recommendation; Operational risk; Debt sustainability analysis; Currency markets; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Selected Issues
Keywords:
E. climate adaptation financing; Mauritania's climate policy commitment; Policy recommendation; climate change readiness; climate change in Mauritania; staff team of the International Monetary Fund; Exchange rate flexibility; Climate change; Natural disasters; Exchange rates; Currency markets; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Maghreb; North Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This selected issue paper discusses the desirable institutional and macro-financial conditions and optimal path toward greater exchange rate flexibility in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. It also identifies the macro-financial risks that arise and mitigation measures supporting a smooth transition and discusses reforms needed for a successful and smooth shift, including the need for an alternative nominal anchor and modern monetary policy framework, more developed financial markets, and resilient financial sector. Mauritania is a small economy exposed to terms-of-trade shocks. The current account deficit is volatile and sometimes sizeable. International reserves remained adequate until 2021 but are expected to fall around the adequacy threshold due to the negative external shock. A more flexible exchange rate would reduce the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks and preserve international reserves. Countries that are heavily reliant on a single commodity or a group of commodities need more exchange rate flexibility to respond to changes in world commodity prices and to mitigate their spillovers into other sectors.
Keywords:
E. climate adaptation financing; Mauritania's climate policy commitment; Policy recommendation; climate change readiness; climate change in Mauritania; staff team of the International Monetary Fund; Exchange rate flexibility; Climate change; Natural disasters; Exchange rates; Currency markets; Global; Middle East and Central Asia; Maghreb; North Africa