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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: Selected Issues
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This Selected Issues paper analyzes key trends in the country’s existing financial sector and finds that while the Mauritanian banking sector is highly profitable, it fails to facilitate broader financial services and access, resulting in limited contribution to economic growth and inclusion. It also identifies the prevalence of family-owned banks, lack of trust, weak governance, and insufficient institutions as the major factors leading to these macro-level outcomes and discusses policies to address them and enhance financial sector development and boost inclusion. From a financial sector development perspective, Mauritania would be better off with a consolidated banking sector with stronger, more resilient institutions. Fewer universal banks with robust provisioning frameworks are better equipped to manage credit risks, thereby increasing their capacity to lend to a broader range of private-sector actors. From the institutional perspective, existing financial infrastructure institutions need to be strengthened and new ones need to be established. Forceful banking supervision with strong information systems can effectively monitor and mitigate connected lending practices among many family-owned banks.
Keywords:
bank Private-Sector; Efficiency-Access and Depth Gap; banks' provision; intermediation proxy; credit to GDP; Financial sector development; Financial sector; Credit; Financial inclusion; North Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Economic Development Documents
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This Economic Development Document summarizes Mauritania’s Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP) for 2016–30. The first five-year phase of the SCAPP will complete projects under way and lay the foundations for a new, politically more peaceful Mauritania, with infrastructure put in place to support growth and encourage development of the country's natural resources. Steps will be taken to complete the reforms needed to improve the business climate and promote the private sector. In the second five-year period, the economy will be more diversified and competitive, with the real rate of growth averaging at about 10 percent a year. The third five-year phase will consolidate Mauritania's “new look” and the economic growth will exceed 12 percent a year.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; border; private sector development strategy; public finance; Islamic Republic of Mauritania honor; natural resources; poverty rate; shared prosperity; Inclusive growth; Public investment and public-private partnerships (PPP); Human capital; Business environment; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Mali: Technical Assistance Report-Mining Taxation: Modeling of Five Mining Operations
International Monetary Fund. Fiscal Affairs Dept.
This paper discusses Malian mining taxation. Mali’s industrial mining sector is predominantly gold mining, with six industrial mines currently active. Most of the mines are old, but some have substantial reserves; extensions are planned for the Syama, Morila, Kalama, Tabakoto-Segela, and Loulo-Gounkoto mines. The Fiscal Analysis for Resource Industries model was completed for five new projects with recent feasibility studies. The government revenue contributed by the five new projects is on the order of US$1.7 billion (constant dollars) over the next 10 years. The application of the 1999 or 2012 Mining Code increases the government’s share of income in comparison with the 1991 code.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; government; Malian government; tax data; internal rate of return; term; mining Code; production forecast; information from the Ministry of Finance; gold production; tax information; ad valorem tax; area taxation; Mining sector; Corporate income tax; Average effective tax rate; Gold
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Staff Report for the 2014 Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
KEY ISSUES Context. Mauritania’s economy has benefited from macroeconomic stability and high growth in the context of contained inflation, responsible macro-policies, high iron ore prices and scaled-up public investment. However, economic growth has not translated into broadly improved living standards and is being hit by a sharp decline in iron ore prices. Outlook and Risks. Although the outlook remains favorable, it hinges heavily on stabilizing iron ore prices and expanding mining capacity. Downside risks to the outlook dominate because iron ore prices may decline further in response to excess supply in the global market. Key Policy Recommendations. With high risk of debt distress and deteriorating terms of trade, Mauritania’s fiscal policy needs to remain focused on consolidation to support fiscal sustainability. Over the medium term, a fiscal framework with a full-fledged fiscal rule will help prevent the boom–bust cycles that ensue from volatility in natural resource revenue, and with strengthened governance in managing mining wealth. The central bank should take advantage of the low-inflation environment to strengthen monetary policy formulation, gradually liberalize the foreign exchange market, and introduce liquidity support and banking resolution frameworks. The implementation of the recent FSAP recommendations should be pursued to enhance the stability of the financial sector stability. Economic diversification and inclusive growth are the foremost medium-term challenges. The authorities should accelerate structural reforms needed to raise Mauritania’s potential growth, create jobs, and improve living standards for all Mauritanians. Article VIII. A comprehensive analysis of the foreign exchange market identified exchange restrictions and multiple currency practices (MCPs) subject to Fund approval under Article VIII. Effective November 20, 2013, the exchange rate regime is classified as “stabilized” arrangement.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; debt; private sector; economy; risk; TA mission; banking vulnerability; iron ore price; Policy adjustment; foreign exchange risk exposure; mining export revenue; Mining sector; Bank supervision; Global; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Sixth Review Under the Three Year Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion—Staff Report; Press Release on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This paper discusses the Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s Sixth Review under the Three-Year Extended Credit Facility Arrangement and Request of Nonobservance of Performance Criterion. Mauritania’s current account deficit has been significantly widened due to higher infrastructure and mining-related imports. Planned projects are concentrated in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure—all three sectors with large investment needs and in line with Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper priorities. Nonrenewable resources are playing an important role in the economy, but the fiscal policy formulation does not incorporate the challenges associated with resource revenue exhaustibility and volatility and, therefore, does not prevent pro-cyclical fiscal policy.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; executive board discussion; government; deficit; GDP; FDI; monetary policy effectiveness; fiscal policy formulation; challenges Mauritania; year-end inflation; Mining sector; Credit; Imports; Global; Sub-Saharan Africa; Europe
Cover IMF Working Papers
Measuring and Mending Monetary Policy Effectiveness Under Capital Account Restrictions: Lessons from Mauritania
Mr. Robert Blotevogel
I propose a new approach to identifying exogenous monetary policy shocks in low-income countries with capital account restrictions. In the case of Mauritania, a domestic repatriation requirement is the key institutional characteristic that allows me to establish exogeneity. Unlike in advanced countries, I find no evidence for a statistically significant impact of exogenous monetary policy shocks on bank lending. Using a unique bank-level dataset on monthly balance sheets of six Mauritanian banks over the period 2006–11, I estimate structural vector autoregressions and two-stage least square panel models to demonstrate the ineffectiveness of monetary policy. Finally, I discuss how a reduction in banks’ loan concentration ratios and improvements in the liquidity management framework could make monetary stimuli more effective.
Keywords:
WP; bank lending; central bank; bank reserves; refinancing possibility; monetary policy effectiveness; exogenous monetary policy shocks; capital account restrictions; low-income countries; liquidity management; loan concentration; monetary policy shock; fish export; balance sheet equity; liquidity position; private-sector credit; transmission mechanism; banks' holding; loan portfolio; excess reserves; risk management capability; Credit; Bank credit; Agroindustries; Exports; Loans; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: 2012 Article IV Consultation and Fourth Review Under the Three-Year Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, and Requests for Waivers of Nonobservance and Modification of Performance Criteria-Staff Report and Supplement; Public Information Notice and Press Release on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
International Monetary Fund
The 2012 Article IV Consultation and Fourth Review under the three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement discusses the macroeconomic conditions of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Mauritania’s economy has performed well in 2011, despite significant challenges. Economic activity is likely to pick up and inflation to remain low. However, Mauritania faces important short- and medium-term policy challenges, notably in the social area, where progress in reducing poverty has been slow and unemployment is still high. The performance under the ECF-supported program has remained strong.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; debt; government; SDR; real GDP; Extended Credit Facility arrangement; commodity export; nonmetals commodity prices fall; IMF's board; anchor inflation expectation; commodity price boom; Fiscal stance; Mining sector; Monetary statistics; Europe; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Inclusive Growth, Institutions, and the Underground Economy
Mr. Adil Mohommad
,
Mr. Anoop Singh
, and
Ms. Sonali Jain-Chandra
Worldwide protests against the perceived lack of economic opportunity and failure of governance have refocused attention on the need for inclusive growth and strong institutions. In developing countries, large informal economies limit state capacity to deliver governance and strong institutions, which in turn discourages participation in and expansion of the formal economy. This paper analyzes the determinants of the underground economy, with particular emphasis on the role of institutions and the rule of law. We find that when businesses are faced with onerous regulation, inconsistent enforcement and corruption, they have an incentive to hide their activities in the underground economy. Empirical analysis suggests that institutions are a more important determinant of the size of the underground economy than tax rates.
Keywords:
WP; economy; underground economy; shadow economy; economic activity; institutions; IFS database; shadow economy rise; size of the shadow economy; informal economy limit; unofficial economy; Informal economy; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Mauritania: Joint Staff Advisory Note of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
International Monetary Fund
Mauritania’s third poverty reduction strategy paper provides a framework for an ambitious growth and poverty reduction agenda. The updated development perspective and principal objectives reflect the new economic and political realities to sustainably reduce poverty. Successful program implementation hinges on the government’s ownership and commitment. It will only succeed if the institutional framework remains stable, and the civil society is engaged on a permanent basis. Ensuring a broad social consensus for the strategy will make it easier to mobilize donor resources, thus easing financing constraints.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; PRSP-3; government; private sector; updated development perspective; poverty reduction agenda; growth projection; adoption of a strategy; candid acknowledgment; authorities' effort; government's adoption; Poverty reduction; Poverty reduction strategy; Agricultural sector; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Statistical Appendix
International Monetary Fund
The report provides the details of the projections and estimates of Mauritania's gross domestic product by activity at current prices, 1992–2005 and at 1998 prices, 1993–2005; iron ore production, exports and stocks, consolidated government operations and revenue, 1994–2005; consumption of petroleum products, 1995–2005; monetary survey, foreign assets and liabilities of the banking system, assets and liabilities of the central bank and commercial banks, exports and imports, external publicly guaranteed debt outstanding and debt services, income and transfers, foreign trade indices, SNIM operating accounts and balance sheet, supply of cereals, etc.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; Mauritania; Banque Nationale de Mauritanie; debt service; Banque de I'Habitat de Mauritanie; U.S. dollar; Générale de Banque de Mauritanie; factor cost; Agroindustries; Agricultural sector; Consumption taxes; Commercial banks