Zambia : Request for Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility-Staff Report; Staff Statement; Press Release; and Statement by the Executive Director for Zambia

This paper examines Zambia's Request for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Through end-March, most of the key quantitative benchmarks and six of the eight structural benchmarks under the Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) were observed. The PRGF-supported program is based on a strong fiscal adjustment envisaged in the 2004 budget and a modest growth of reserve money. A sharp decline in domestic financing of the budget relies on expenditure restraint. Despite the adjustment, the government targets a significant increase in poverty-reducing spending.