According to experts, Honduras may receive a disbursement of $125 million if the IMF technical mission approves a new review for the second half of 2024.

To date, the IMF has disbursed $190 million of the $315 million authorized under the 2023-2026 agreement, which provides for total financial assistance of $823 million, distributed in six tranches subject to the approval of the reviews.

Economists agree that Honduras will be eligible for disbursements from the Fund if it is verified that the criteria were met in the last six months of the previous fiscal year.

Last December, the conclusion of the first and second reviews of the agreements gave Honduras immediate access to remittances totaling approximately $198 million.

“What we are going to review with the International Monetary Fund are the figures for the end of 2024 and the progress of other qualitative structural commitments of the Government of the Republic,” announced Christian Duarte, Honduras’ Secretary of Finance, earlier this month. He highlighted the economy’s performance, which experienced 3.9 percent GDP growth last year, in addition to containing inflation at 3.88 percent. “Extraordinary growth compared to the rest of the countries in the region,” he emphasized.

Duarte believes that the program with the IMF is a support for President Xiomara Castro’s plan. “This program, with the president, has sought to boost the economy for small, medium, and large businesses,” he said.

jrr/llp/npg/edu