The Central African Republic (CAR) authorities have called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an additional deadline in the implementation of its economic program, which is theoretically supposed to end in June 2026, just two months after the official request. According to the official report published by the Central African government, the request was made on April 17, 2026 by the Central African Minister of Finance, Hervé Ndoba, during bilateral discussions held on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the Bretton Woods institution and the World Bank in Washington. During this meeting, the Central African government official highlighted “the need to extend the timeline in order to complete several still incomplete structural reforms”.
The program, supported by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and launched in April 2023 for a duration of 38 months, amounts to 107 billion CFA francs (approximately 191.4 million USD). It represents a lifeline for an economy still fragile, but it is reaching its final phase with several tasks still pending.
Among the crucial but insufficiently implemented reforms are actions in public financial management and in the hydrocarbon sector, two areas regularly identified as points of fragility by the IMF team.
It is worth noting that previous assessments by the Bretton Woods institution already painted a mixed picture. In a statement released in June 2025, it noted that “only three out of the six quantified performance targets for 2024 had been achieved, highlighting delays in key objectives such as the domestic primary deficit and net domestic financing”. Despite these shortcomings, the Central African authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to continue the reforms. According to them, this commitment would ensure their successful completion under optimal conditions and in line with national economic realities.
