Zimbabwe
2010 Article IV Consultation: Staff Report; Staff Supplement; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Zimbabwe
Author:
International Monetary Fund
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Publication Date:
06 Jul 2010
eISBN:
9781455207756
Language:
English
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; GDP; deficit; authority; right; Zimbabwean authorities; liquid asset; balance of payments; lender of last resort; US$ millions; Zimbabwe dollar; Arrears; Wages; RBZ governance; expenditure arrears
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The macroeconomic outlook for 2010 on unchanged policies is daunting. Short-term risks are skewed to the downside and the medium-term outlook is bleak in the absence of significant improvement in policies. The macroeconomic outlook could significantly improve if policies are strengthened. Counting on a significant increase in donor financing and budget revenue, the approved 2010 budget ramped up both wages and capital expenditures. The recent increase in the wage bill has significant adverse macroeconomic implications. The medium-term fiscal position is clearly unsustainable.

Abstract

The macroeconomic outlook for 2010 on unchanged policies is daunting. Short-term risks are skewed to the downside and the medium-term outlook is bleak in the absence of significant improvement in policies. The macroeconomic outlook could significantly improve if policies are strengthened. Counting on a significant increase in donor financing and budget revenue, the approved 2010 budget ramped up both wages and capital expenditures. The recent increase in the wage bill has significant adverse macroeconomic implications. The medium-term fiscal position is clearly unsustainable.

I. Summary and Staff Appraisal

The nascent economic recovery, underpinned by significant improvements in policies in 2009, remains very fragile. The previously implemented liberalization of prices, goods markets, and foreign exchange transactions would support economic activity in 2010. Significant improvements in tax policy and administration have increased available fiscal space. However, rapid unsustainable government expenditure growth, including of wages, a large reduction in capital inflows because of increased uncertainty about the indigenization process, and exuberant credit growth have negatively affected the macroeconomic outlook and intensified external and banking system vulnerabilities.

In light of these vulnerabilities, policies need to be strengthened to sustain the economic recovery:

The approved 2010 budgetary expenditures would need to be curtailed by about 3 percent of GDP to return to a path toward medium-term fiscal and external sustainability and reduce the economy’s vulnerability to shocks. This would also help maintain a fiscal reserve of at least $250 million of SDR holdings (2 months of expenditures). Although reaching consensus on the recommended fiscal measures is a major political challenge, delaying their implementation could increase the social and economic costs of the future necessary adjustment.

The key fiscal challenge is to reduce the wage bill relative to revenues in 2010 and beyond to leave sufficient fiscal space for urgent infrastructure upkeep expenses (e.g., electricity, water, and sanitation), maintain competitiveness, and prevent an unsustainable buildup of domestic expenditure arrears. The recent payroll audit presents an opportunity to eliminate ghost workers, and political support needs to be forged for additional measures for 2010 and the medium term to further reduce the wage bill.

To address increasing systemic vulnerabilities in the banking system, urgent measures need to be implemented: (i) improving Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governance, and downsizing and restructuring it; (ii) reducing banks’ exposure to the financially distressed RBZ; (iii) containing credit and liquidity risks; and (iv) discontinuing moral suasion on banks to lend to specific sectors. The authorities’ stated intentions to implement these recommendations need to be followed through with speedy implementation.

The multi-currency system would serve Zimbabwe well during its intended lifespan (2010-12). The Zimbabwe dollar can be reintroduced as sole legal tender only once a track record of sound policies is established and a credible central bank governance framework focused on price stability is adopted.

Sound macroeconomic policies, a significant improvement in the business climate, in particular regarding enforcement of property rights and labor legislation, and debt relief are essential for moving toward external and domestic stability. Zimbabwe is in debt distress, and the debt overhang cannot be resolved without debt relief even if policies are improved and mineral extraction is increased. The government needs to reach consensus on a resolution strategy for external debt arrears and to improve relations with the international community, whose support would be vital for obtaining debt relief and rebuilding the Zimbabwe economy.

II. Fragile Recovery Following a Decade of Economic Decline

1. Following a decade of economic decline and hyperinflation during 2007-08, policies improved significantly in 2009. The multi-currency system adopted in early 2009 helped restore price stability, restart financial intermediation, and impose fiscal discipline by precluding the option of budget deficit monetization. Following implementation of many Fund technical assistance (TA) recommendations, budget revenue increased significantly, which helped finance improved delivery of public services, while the fiscal position was broadly balanced in 2009. Price and exchange system liberalization improved allocation of resources and availability of goods in the domestic markets. In response to better policies, short-term capital inflows and FDI increased in 2009, providing financing for a widening current account deficit. These positive steps supported a nascent economic recovery (Figures 1-2 and Tables 1-5).

Figure 1.
Figure 1.

Zimbabwe: Recent Economic and Budgetary Performance

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Note: Quasi-fiscal activities (QFAs) by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) included election-related expenses, transfers to parastatals, subsidized directed lending, below-cost provision of equipment and fertilizers to farmers, and allocation of foreign exchange at subsidized exchange rates.Sources: Zimbabwe authorities and IMF staff estimates.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.

Zimbabwe: The Banking System Is Returning to Its Size before Hyperinflation

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Source: Zimbabwe authorities.
Table 1.

Zimbabwe: Selected Economic Indicators, 2008–15

(Baseline)

article image
Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; IMF staff estimates and projections.

In constant 2009 prices.

For 2008, annual average January–September 2008.

Zimbabwe dollar values converted into U.S. dollars at the UN exchange rate at end-2008.

Gross official reserves as reported by the authorities are adjusted for encumbered deposits, securities, banks’ current accounts/RTGS, and required statutory reserves.

Includes arrears and amounts for unidentified financing.

Table 2.

Zimbabwe: Balance of Payments, 2008-15(Baseline)

(millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated)

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Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; IMF staff estimates and projections.

May not match data for government external financing in the fiscal table because this line is on an accrual basis.

Includes arrears and amounts for unidentified financing.

Table 3.

Zimbabwe: Central Government Operations, 2008-15 (Baseline)

(millions of U.S. dollars)

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Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

Subsidies provided by the RBZ to the public sector and producers/exporters.

Including estimates of residents’ claims on the RBZ.

Table 4.

Zimbabwe: Monetary Survey, 2008–10 (Baseline) 1/

(millions of U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated)

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Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

The monetary accounts may be distorted by hyperinflation and the use of multiple exchange rates in 2008. Zimbabwe dollar values converted into U.S. dollars at the UN exchange rate at end-2008.

Official reserve assets are reported net of banks’ current accounts/RTGS and required statutory reserves.

Including frozen residents’ deposits lodged at the RBZ.

Table 5.

Zimbabwe: Selected Economic Indicators, 2008–15

(Active Policy Scenario)

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Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; IMF staff estimates and projections.

In constant 2009 prices.

For 2008, annual average January–September 2008.

Zimbabwe dollar values converted into U.S. dollars at the UN exchange rate at end-2008.

Gross official reserves as reported by the authorities are adjusted for encumbered deposits, securities, banks’ current accounts/RTGS, and required statutory reserves.

Includes arrears and amounts for unidentified financing.

2. The humanitarian situation is also improving. Most schools and hospitals have been re-opened. Owing to good rainfall and effects of better policies in 2009, food security improved and production of the staple crop, maize, increased from 0.6 million tons in 2008 to an estimated 1.1 million tons in 2009. Incidence of cholera also has declined. In 2009, donors provided significant off-budget financing for social services and humanitarian assistance (12 percent of GDP) to help fill the gap left by constrained fiscal resources.

Text Table 1.

Zimbabwe: Millennium Development Goals

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Source: World Development Indicators.

Italics refer to earlier periods

3. However, significant challenges remain unaddressed and some previous staff recommendations have not been implemented. Recent large wage increases, a poor financial position of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), rising vulnerabilities in the banking system, weak governance, particularly at the RBZ, growing weaknesses in the business climate, and a precarious external position (Figure 3 and Table 2) are threatening the economic recovery and progress in poverty reduction. In light of these challenges, the consultation discussions focused on the following issues:

  • Creating sufficient fiscal space for growth- and socially-oriented spending while moving toward fiscal sustainability;

  • Safeguarding financial sector stability in the multi-currency regime;

  • Moving toward external stability and sustainable growth.

Figure 3.
Figure 3.

Zimbabwe: The External Position Remains Precarious

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Sources: Zimbabwe authorities and IMF staff estimates.

III. Macroeconomic Outlook

A. Outlook on Unchanged Policies

4. The macroeconomic outlook for 2010 on unchanged policies is daunting. The previously implemented liberalization of prices, goods markets, and foreign exchange transactions would support economic growth. However, continued political tensions and increased uncertainties regarding implementation of the Indigenization and Empowerment Act are causing a significant decrease in private capital inflows. As a result, the external current account deficit would be forced to adjust to 23 percent of GDP in 2010, from 30 percent in 2009, and banks’ foreign assets—their main source of liquidity—would decline. The projected current account adjustment would lead to a sharp slowdown in import growth (Table 2). Consequently, real GDP growth would decelerate to about 2 percent in 2010 from 4 percent in 2009 (Table 1). The unsustainable wage-driven fiscal expansion, financed by drawing down part of Zimbabwe’s SDR holdings, would increase the vulnerability of the external position and set the stage for an abrupt and potentially destabilizing contraction in nonwage expenditures and imports in 2011 (Tables 2-3).

5. Short-term risks are skewed to the downside: (i) potential liquidity or solvency problems in a fragile banking system, as a result of the balance of payments-induced reduction in its foreign assets, with a high negative impact on economic activity, budget revenues, and social conditions; (ii) drought with significant negative spillover effects on food security, economic growth, and banking system stability; and (iii) possible breakdowns of public infrastructure with a negative impact on key industries. At the same time, higher-than-expected donor financing, as well as possible additional export and budget receipts from diamonds, represent upside potential.

6. The medium-term outlook is bleak in the absence of significant improvement in policies. The illustrative baseline scenario assumes that there would be limited direct donor budget support and structural reforms would advance slowly, reducing the country’s attractiveness to domestic and foreign investors. Zimbabwe would remain highly dependent on large humanitarian assistance (about $600 million per year). The tightening of the external financing constraint projected for 2010 would continue into the medium term. Consequently imports and investment would be compressed, and economic growth would remain anemic (Figure 4). The current account deficit would need to adjust from 23 percent of GDP in 2010 to less than 15 percent over the medium term. The tight balance of payments position would also restrict the scope for a further increase in financial intermediation.

Figure 4.
Figure 4.

Zimbabwe: Baseline Scenario

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Sources: Zimbabwe authorities and IMF staff estimates.

B. Active Policy Scenario

7. The macroeconomic outlook could significantly improve if policies are strengthened. For the economy to grow at 4 to 5 percent in 2010 and the medium term, budgetary expenditures need to be reoriented toward growth- and socially-oriented projects, the business climate improved, wage costs contained, and the financial system strengthened (see specific staff recommendations below). The active policy scenario does not account for the possible impact of debt relief, which, if realized, would unlock access to fresh International Financial Institutions’ (IFI) financing, strengthen growth potential, and accelerate progress in moving toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Authorities views

8. The authorities broadly agreed with the staff assessment of the outlook and risks under the unchanged policy scenario. They also stressed that they would seek to build domestic political consensus for the implementation of key staff recommendations under the active policy scenario to improve prospects for economic growth and poverty reduction. The authorities also indicated that donor financial support could be significantly higher than projected by staff under the active policy scenario, thereby helping the economy to grow faster.

IV. Policy Discussions

A. Creating Sufficient Fiscal Space for Growth- and Socially-Oriented Spending While Moving Toward Fiscal Sustainability

Background

9. Counting on a significant increase in donor financing and budget revenue, the approved 2010 budget ramped up both wages and capital expenditures. However, large donor financing of capital expenditures is unlikely. Staff also project a revenue shortfall of about $100 million (2 percent of GDP), despite implementation of many Fund TA recommendations in tax policy and administration, because of the projected deterioration in the outlook for 2010. As a result, large employment costs, including wages, benefits, and pensions (68 percent of budget revenue), would crowd out a sizeable share of planned capital expenditures. Staff also project a cash budget deficit of about $235 million (4.5 percent of GDP) largely financed by drawing down part of Zimbabwe’s SDR holdings ($210 million).1 Further accumulation of expenditure arrears is also highly likely.

10. The recent increase in the wage bill has significant adverse macroeconomic implications. Although the government would be able to improve living standards and morale of 230,000 civil servants, many urgent infrastructure projects critical for economic recovery and poverty reduction would remain under-financed in 2010. Moreover, large government wage increases have had a signaling impact on private sector wages and a direct impact on nontradable prices, in particular rents. These factors, in turn, have increased pressures on private sector employers, local governments, and SOEs to grant higher wages, which some of them have not been able to afford in recent months owing to low productivity.

11. The medium-term fiscal position is clearly unsustainable. The government’s medium-term budget estimates contain overly optimistic assumptions on revenue and donor financing, inflating expectations about possible expenditure levels, including wages. In the illustrative unchanged policy scenario, based on the staff’s lower revenue and grant forecast for 2011-15, the targeted increase in employment costs to $1.1 billion (20 percent of GDP and 74 percent of revenues) in 2011 would largely crowd out budgeted capital expenditures and compress budgeted nonwage current expenses (Figure 5), leading to accumulation of large expenditure arrears and increasing the risk of use of the remaining SDR allocation ($200 million projected at end-2010) which is assumed to be saved in the budget.

Figure 5.
Figure 5.

Zimbabwe: Employment Costs

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Sources: Zimbabwe authorities; IMF staff estimates; and World Economic Outlook (October 2009).

Staff recommendations

12. The government needs to return to cash budgeting2 from the second quarter of 2010 to maintain external and domestic stability and preserve the remaining reserve cushion (about $250 million or 2 months of expenditures as of end-February 2010). To this end, cash expenditures would need to be curtailed by about 3 percent of GDP compared with the approved budget. It would be preferable to reduce the wage bill by about 1 percent of GDP, including through the elimination of ghost workers based on the recently completed payroll audit and a reduction in the number of contractual employees, with the rest of adjustment coming from low-priority capital (e.g., cars, furniture, acquisition of buildings, lending to banks) and current (e.g., travel) spending. However, sufficient resources would need to be allocated to urgent infrastructure maintenance expenses, noncompressible current overhead expenses, and elimination of expenditure arrears ($41 million at end-February). The government could also seek additional donor support for socially important projects to reduce the risk of deterioration in the humanitarian situation.

Text Table 2

Zimbabwe: Staff Evaluation of Central Government Operations on Unchanged Policies, 2010-2011

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Sources: Zimbabwean authorities; IMF staff estimates and projections.

Assuming about 60 percent implementation rate for capital expenditures relative to the budget.

Excluding off-budget donor-financed expenditures.

13. In 2010, budget vulnerabilities could be reducedby (i) adopting a contingency plan for expenditure reductions in case of revenue shortfalls; and (ii) sustaining the public sector reform momentum with World Bank TA (e.g., strengthening the financial position and management of SOEs and public financial management (PFM) systems). The government also needs to review pricing and billing practices and costs in major utilities to ensure cost-effective service delivery. These efforts would help address concerns about the high cost of living.

Text Table 3.

Zimbabwe: Possible Revenue Measures, 2011-2015

(percent of GDP)

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Source: IMF staff estimates.

14. In the medium term, re-orienting expenditures toward investment and social programs with World Bank advice would help support growth and poverty reduction.3 Additional fiscal space needs to be created by (i) mobilizing additional revenues with further Fund TA (1.5-2.0 percent of GDP); and (ii) limiting employment costs to 15.5 percent of GDP in 2011 and further to 13 percent of GDP in 2015 through further downsizing and wage increases below nominal GDP growth for most grades. It would also be prudent to maintain fiscal reserves at about 2 months of expenditures in light of significant risks facing the economy.

Authorities’ views

15. The authorities agreed that the fiscal deficit should be reduced in 2010 in order to restrain unsustainable domestic demand growth and save the remaining SDR holdings ($250 million) as part of fiscal reserves. The government will seek to refrain from additional withdrawals of SDR holdings in 2010, but officials indicated that unexpected expenditure pressures could arise (e.g., food shortages) making the achievement of this objective difficult.

16. Regarding revenues, the authorities shared staff concerns about possible revenue shortfalls in 2010. The government will seek to mobilize additional revenues from exports of diamonds. However, the authorities acknowledged that ensuring compliance with the Kimberley process may take time, thereby delaying inflows of revenues from this source. Some officials were also optimistic that the active policy scenario would materialize, and therefore higher revenue could be mobilized compared to the unchanged policy scenario.

17. Regarding expenditures in 2010, the authorities indicated that the burden of adjustment would most likely fall on nonwage expenditures. Under significant political pressure from civil service labor unions and security forces, the government had to offer sufficiently large wage increases in 2010 to ensure social peace and delivery of essential services in the education sector. Nevertheless, the government intends to eliminate ghost workers to be identified during the on-going civil service payroll audit, which could bring some savings already in 2010. With respect to nonwage expenditures, the authorities recognized political difficulties in reducing low-priority expenditures, including foreign travel, purchases of cars, furniture, and the acquisition of buildings. The authorities, however, argued that they would be able to contain nonwage current expenditures by planning monthly cash flow carefully to avoid accumulating new expenditure arrears during the year.

18. The authorities recognized that the key medium-term challenge is to reduce the wage bill relative to revenue in order to leave sufficient fiscal space for growth- and socially-oriented spending. They stated that the wage bill projections included in the medium-term budget framework did not represent firm commitments nor did they reflect possible wage bill-reduction measures (e.g., a further downsizing after elimination of ghost workers) for which the government intends to build broad public support. The authorities were also more optimistic on prospects for budget revenues than staff. As a result, they expected to reduce the wage bill-to-revenue ratio quickly without large reductions in the wage bill-to-GDP ratio. In addition, the government has set up high-level committees to formulate recommendations to reduce the cost of living, including a rationalization of utility tariffs and better management of public utilities. Containing increases in the cost of living would strengthen the government’s bargaining position with labor unions.

B. Safeguarding Financial Sector Stability in the Multi-Currency Regime

Background

19. With the adoption of the multi-currency system, banking deposits tripled and lending increased six-fold between March and December 2009. This rapid balance sheet expansion, which was in part driven by moral suasion on banks to lend to agriculture, supported economic activity but also contributed to a significant increase in the current account deficit in 2009 and rising banking system vulnerabilities. While officially reported aggregate banking soundness indicators do not raise major red flags (Table 6), they mask vulnerabilities specific to a fully dollarized banking system experiencing rapid credit growth, as well as a significant variation in prudential indicators across individual banks.

Table 6.

Zimbabwe: Selected Aggregate Financial Soundness Indicators, 2009

(percent, unless otherwise indicated) 1/

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Source: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Based on commercial banks only.

Claims on the RBZ are counted toward capital.

Non-perfoming assets are defined as the aggregate of substandard, doubtful, and loss loans.

Past due loans are defined as the aggregate of special mention, substandard, doubtful, and loss loans.

Claims on the RBZ are classified as liquid assets.

20. The banking system is facing increasing risks in a number of areas (Table 7). Counterparty and credit risk is medium to high due to a significant exposure to the financially distressed RBZ (about 70 percent of banks’ capital), the drought-prone agricultural sector (20 percent of the loan portfolios), and the exuberant credit growth. The projected economic slowdown would lead to a significant increase in nonperforming loans. Liquidity risk is high, as structural liquidity pressures could arise due to the deteriorating balance of payments position potentially causing a reduction in banks’ foreign assets. The banking system is also ill-equipped to deal with temporary liquidity shocks with no lender of last resort, the unavailability of the statutory reserves deposited at the RBZ (see below), virtually no interbank lending, and a level of country risk that precludes liquidity support from abroad. In this regard, it is of concern that credit expansion is taking place at the expense of prudent liquidity management at some large banks, especially those whose liquidity ratios were below the prudent level of 25 percent at end-December 2009. Solvency risk is high as a possible compounding of the liquidity and credit risks, as well as the banking system’s difficulties in generating positive incomes, could lead to a rapid erosion of capital.

Table 7.

Zimbabwe: Vulnerabilities and Risks in the Banking System

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21. Serious governance problems remain at the RBZ whose balance sheet has continued to deteriorate. The RBZ’s governing board is not operating, the RBZ did not have an approved budget in 2009, external auditors reported serious weaknesses in internal controls and financial reporting, and comprehensive monetary statistics have not been published since early 2008. Without appropriate oversight, the RBZ used the international reserves backing the statutory reserves of banks ($80 million)4 and sold shares from its portfolio of securities at the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange ($38 million) to finance its activities during January 2009-March 2010, including operating expenses, quasi-fiscal activities, and repayments of debt to selected creditors. Parliament passed amendments to the RBZ Act, envisaging stronger accountability requirements. However, these amendments do not reflect a number of Fund TA recommendations, including the appointment of a nonexecutive chairman of the supervisory Board, greater central bank operational independence, transitional provisions relevant for the multi-currency system, or the prohibition of government financing.

22. The government considers the multi-currency regime a temporary arrangement that will be maintained during 2010-12, while a debate on various medium-term options for alternative currency regimes is continuing within the government. The authorities are revising exchange controls regulations to increase their transparency and are considering options for resolving the issue of small change and the poor quality of banknotes.

Staff recommendations

23. Stepping up supervisory efforts would help ensure that the banking system can withstand the projected deterioration in the balance of payments position and a possible intensification of credit risk. Implementing a liquidity requirement of 25 to 30 percent, which should be elevated for banks with weak liquidity management practices, would help contain liquidity risk. The liquidity requirement should exclude, but not extinguish, any claims on the RBZ, until the resolution of the RBZ’s negative equity position (see below). In addition, efforts to identify banks with weak underwriting skills should be intensified and remedial actions monitored. Moral suasion on banks to lend to specific sectors needs to be discontinued and there should not be a perception of possible regulatory forbearance in case banks implement government-prioritized lending.

24. The existing resolution framework should be applied to ensure an orderly exit of non-viable banks. In this regard, using public funds to bail out insolvent banks is not an option given the unavailability of sufficient funds to deal with a systemic problem. Crisis management and contingency planning also need to be strengthened.

25. Reducing banks’ exposure to the financially distressed RBZ would help mitigate risks facing the banking system. Specifically, a dedicated RBZ’s nostro account backing banks’ deposits to the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) account should be established and its balance published daily. The existing 2.5 percent statutory reserve requirement on new deposits should be abolished. Following disposal of the RBZ’s noncore assets under appropriate governing board supervision, the mobilized resources could be used to refund banks’ statutory reserves on pre-March 2010 deposits. The resolution of the remaining banks’ claims on the RBZ would need to be undertaken as part of the overall resolution framework for the RBZ’s liabilities (see below).

26. Establishing effective oversight over the RBZ would strengthen the credibility of the multi-currency system. Key measures include (i) appointment of an RBZ governing board; (ii) approval of a downsized, fully funded RBZ budget; (iii) bifurcation of the RBZ balance sheet to isolate noncore assets and liabilities from those that are essential for performing RBZ core functions; and (iv) adoption of a resolution framework for overdue liabilities and transparent disposal of noncore assets. The Fund could provide TA in these areas after an effective RBZ governing board is appointed.

27. The multi-currency regime could continue to serve Zimbabwe well during 2010-12, while further improvements could be made to its functioning. Specifically, the on-going work on new exchange control regulations is welcome and further advice will be provided to ensure that new regulations improve existing regulations in the areas of transparency of authorization procedures and internal consistency. Moreover, the supply of coins could be improved with assistance from South Africa. However, minting local coins would be counterproductive until RBZ governance issues are fully resolved and its financial position is strengthened.

28. Options for a future currency regime include full official dollarization with the U.S. dollar or the rand, accession to the rand Common Monetary Area, and in the longer term, a currency board arrangement or intermediate regimes. The Zimbabwe dollar can be reintroduced as sole legal tender only once a track record of sound policies is established and a credible central bank governance framework focused on price stability is adopted and enacted.5

Authorities’ views

29. The authorities broadly agreed with the staff assessment of the risks facing the banking system. They also indicated that they would implement a liquid asset requirement of 25 percent and ring-fence the RTGS account at the RBZ in the near future. The RBZ would also consider abolishing the 2.5 percent statutory reserve requirement once sufficient resources have been mobilized from the disposal of its noncore assets.

30. The authorities attached the highest importance to a speedy resolution of governance problems at the RBZ. They were confident that an RBZ governing Board would be appointed soon and it would quickly take appropriate actions to address governance weaknesses. The authorities also agreed that the RBZ should be downsized and its balance sheet bifurcated under RBZ Board supervision, and they requested Fund TA in these areas.

31. The authorities are committed to maintaining the multi-currency system until end-2012. They also indicated that beyond 2012 options involving some form of official dollarization, including a possibility of a closer monetary cooperation with neighboring countries, would be more realistic, as many pre-conditions for the re-introduction of the Zimbabwe dollar outlined by the staff were not likely to be in place by 2012. The authorities would narrow the list of possible options in the second half of 2010 and request further Fund TA on these issues.

C. Moving toward External Stability and Sustainable Growth

Background

32. The external position is clearly unsustainable, with external debt projected at 151 percent of GDP by 2015, with 104 percent of GDP in arrears (Supplement). The economy performs poorly in terms of competitiveness whether it is measured by governance, investment climate, the quality of infrastructure, or price/wage indicators.6 Even if the authorities implemented the staff policy recommendations, the debt-overhang cannot be resolved without debt relief (see the active policy medium-term scenario).

33. There is a debate in Zimbabwe on whether the country’s mineral wealth can be used to resolve external debt arrears. Staff estimate that at end-2009, Zimbabwe’s net foreign asset (NFA) position, including the net present value of future mineral receipts under an optimistic scenario for the extraction of high-value minerals, is significantly negative, in the order of 63 percent of GDP (Figure 6). Just maintaining this high level of the negative NFA would require generating nonmineral primary external current account surpluses whereas this balance now stands in deficit at over 35 percent of GDP. Closing such a large gap without debt relief is not feasible in the foreseeable future, even if the challenges with competitiveness and the business climate are addressed without further delays.

Figure 6.
Figure 6.

Zimbabwe: Mineral Wealth

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2010, 186; 10.5089/9781455207756.002.A001

Note: Yearly external financing need: Financing gap (balance of payment deficit excluding gold and platinum) plus change in arrears; Net mining flows: Net value of gold and platinum production available for exports.Sources: Zimbabwe authorities and IMF staff estimates.

Staff recommendations

34. To support economic growth and exports, the government would need to forge political consensus on key structural reforms:

  • The regulations under the Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act need to be reviewed to ensure that empowerment of the indigenous population does not conflict with the government’s other objectives of attracting foreign direct investment and ensuring equitable and transparent distribution of wealth.

  • A resolution of land ownership issues needs to be expedited to ensure security of land tenure and enable the agricultural sector to undertake long-term investment.

  • Measures need to be taken to increase labor market flexibility, including with regard to wage levels, which is essential for sustainability of the multi-currency system.

35. Sound policies and debt relief in the context of a comprehensive arrears clearance strategy (FO/DIS/09/100) agreed on among the government coalition partners and with official creditors would help achieve external and growth sustainability, as well as increase benefits associated with mineral wealth provided it is managed transparently.

36. A Staff Monitored Program (SMP) would be a stepping stone toward debt relief and new IFI lending. To make progress toward an SMP, economic policies need to be strengthened, in particular in the areas of RBZ governance, reporting and financial management, and public sector wages, while donors’ indications of support for an eventual Fund financial arrangement (which itself requires, among other things, that arrears to official creditors, including $1.4 billion to IFIs, are cleared or programmed to be cleared) would also need to be secured.

Authorities’ views

37. The authorities agreed that the country was in debt distress. Following intense debate within the government on possible use of mineral wealth to resolve external debt arrears, consensus is emerging among key government officials that mineral wealth alone would not be sufficient to achieve debt sustainability. As a result, the government is working on a comprehensive “hybrid” strategy involving both a request for debt relief under the HIPC Initiative to resolve external payments arrears and use of fresh IFI financing and mineral wealth to achieve sustainable development. The authorities also expressed strong interest in an SMP. In this regard, they will seek to strengthen policies and data reporting, as well as improve relations with the international community. The authorities agreed that making timely quarterly payments to the Fund and increasing them over time, as the payment capacity improves, will strengthen the credibility of their commitment to normalizing relations with the Fund.

38. The authorities acknowledged significant structural issues hampering competitiveness and growth. Government officials are debating in the Cabinet possible revisions to indigenization regulations to provide sufficient assurances to current and potential investors. Pending this debate, the regulations were suspended on April 13, 2010. Regarding land ownership, the authorities plan to undertake, in the coming months, a land audit as the first step toward finding a solution for security of land tenure. The government also intends to review wage setting practices in SOEs and municipalities to stop the accumulation of wage arrears and help align wages with productivity. In addition, the authorities intend to examine labor legislation to identify steps that need to be undertaken to ensure that companies are not forced to award wages incompatible with productivity by arbitration courts.

V. CONCLUSION

39. The government urgently needs to forge political consensus for addressing significant policy challenges to support the fragile economic recovery. Key staff recomendations include (i) returning to cash budgeting and reducing the wage bill; (ii) containing rapidly rising risks to the banking system through a reduction of banks’ exposure to the financially distress RBZ and stepped up prudential measures; (iii) strengthening RBZ governance and downsizing it; and (iv) implementing key structural measures, including with respect to enforcement of property rights, security of land tenure, and wage flexibility. Although reaching consensus on the recommended measures is a major political challenge, speedy implementation of the recommendations is essential for reducing significant macrofinancial vulnerabilities and avoiding higher costs of a forced delayed adjustment.

1

Contrary to staff advice to refrain from using nonconcessional SDR-related funds because of Zimbabwe’s low-income status, debt distress, and paucity of international reserves, the authorities have converted an equivalent of $150 million from the country’s SDR holdings under the 2009 general SDR allocation ($410 million) and have started to use these resources for budget financing. An additional conversion of an equivalent of $60 million is authorized under the budget.

2

Cash budgeting is defined as matching non-interest expenditures to cash revenues and grants.

3

See DP/10/03, Chapter 4 “Creating Fiscal Space for Growth and Development in Zimbabwe.”

4

The statutory reserve requirement of 10 percent of deposits, excluding government’s and SOEs’ deposits, was implemented on February 1, 2009. From February 1, 2010, the end-January 2010 stock of deposits is still subject to the 10 percent requirement, while any increase in the stock of deposits is subject to a 2.5 percent requirement.

5

See DP/10/03, Chapter 2 “Choosing a Monetary Regime.”

6

See DP/10/03, Chapter 3 “Assessing Competitiveness and External Sustainability in Zimbabwe.”

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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Zimbabwe: 2010 Article IV Consultation: Staff Report; Staff Supplement; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Zimbabwe
Author:
International Monetary Fund
Volume/Issue:
Volume 2010: Issue 186
Publisher:
International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
9781455207756
ISSN:
1934-7685
Pages:
53
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5089/9781455207756.002
Figure 1.

Zimbabwe: Recent Economic and Budgetary Performance
Figure 2.

Zimbabwe: The Banking System Is Returning to Its Size before Hyperinflation
Figure 3.

Zimbabwe: The External Position Remains Precarious
Figure 4.

Zimbabwe: Baseline Scenario
Figure 5.

Zimbabwe: Employment Costs
Figure 6.

Zimbabwe: Mineral Wealth