IMF: National Assembly Complicates Matters for Bassirou Diomaye Faye

Senegal’s National Assembly rejected the supplementary budget bill on November 3, complicating President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s negotiations with the IMF over a program worth about $2.2 billion. Economist Thierno Thioune said the lack of a revised budget leaves the government without a formal framework for its fiscal path and could delay financing if the deadlock continues. The bill would have raised the deficit forecast from 5.4% to 7.6% of GDP, an estimated gap of about 550 billion CFA francs, and accounted for nearly 790 billion CFA francs in energy subsidies in 2026. A swift passage of a new bill could limit delays to a few weeks, while a two- to three-month deadlock might require a waiver from the IMF’s executive board.