This paper discusses a request from Malawi for a one-year exogenous shocks facility (ESF) arrangement to help it adjust to the large terms-of-trade shock it has suffered. Real GDP growth of Malawi has been high and is expected to remain solid. Inflation, though rising in recent months, is still moderate and is expected to ease over the medium term. The government’s near-term program aims to increase the import coverage of official gross reserves while preserving growth and food security. IMF staff supports the authorities’ request for a one-year high-access ESF arrangement.
This report on the Observance of Standards and Codes data module provides a review of Malawi’s data dissemination practices against the IMF’s General Data Dissemination System (GDDS), complemented by the in-depth assessment of the quality of five macroeconomic datasets. With the exception of the fiscal sector, Malawi publishes statistics for most of the comprehensive frameworks, data categories, and indicators recommended in the GDDS. The legal and institutional framework for the production of the five macroeconomic datasets of all institutions responsible for collecting, processing, and disseminating macroeconomic statistics is broadly adequate.