The International Monetary Fund has approved a new Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) worth approximately US $124.3 million for Burkina Faso, targeting climate adaptation, agricultural stability and fiscal resilience through September 2027. This decision accompanies the completion of the fourth review of the country’s ongoing 48‑month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement.
Under the review, IMF Executive Directors cleared an immediate disbursement of about US $33.2 million, bringing total funds released under the ECF to roughly US $165.8 million since the programme’s approval in September 2023.
IMF officials cited a notably improved economic picture for Burkina Faso, anchored by a sharp rise in gold production and global prices. Reforms in the mining sector have played a central role in transforming the nation’s external position, shifting the current account from deficit into projected surpluses of 1.1 % of GDP in 2025 and 0.8 % in 2026.
The strong performance of the mining sector including a record increase in gold output has helped offset deep security and humanitarian pressures that continue to affect large parts of the Sahel country.
The newly approved Resilience and Sustainability Facility places a strong emphasis on strengthening Burkina Faso’s capacity to withstand climate shocks and support sectors critical to the livelihoods of the population. With about 80 % of people dependent on subsistence agriculture, the facility aims to expand climate‑smart farming, enhance disaster risk financing and reduce dependency on emergency food imports.
In addition to climate adaptation and agricultural support, RSF financing is intended to improve fiscal resilience by integrating climate risk management into public financial systems, enhancing the performance of state‑owned enterprises in vulnerable sectors and attracting green investments.
Despite economic gains, the IMF notes that governance reforms remain a work in progress. Burkina Faso’s authorities have completed six of eleven priority recommendations from a Governance Diagnostic Assessment, including improvements to the transparency and integrity of mining licence procedures.
IMF Deputy Managing Director Kenji Okamura highlighted the economy’s resilience amid security challenges, crediting stronger revenue mobilisation and governance measures with helping to contain inflation and keep public debt on a sustainable path.
Looking ahead, the Fund projects real GDP growth of about 5 % in 2026, though this forecast remains closely linked to improvements in the domestic security situation. Burkina Faso’s government has pledged to continue fiscal consolidation, targeting a budget deficit of no more than 3.5 % of GDP while safeguarding critical spending on health and social programmes, a difficult balancing act that will be closely monitored by investors and development partners.
