July 11, 2025
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released the preliminary findings of its staff following a recent mission to Belize. This mission, part of the regular Article IV consultations, took place from July 1 to July 11, and was led by Metodij Hadzi-Vaskov. The IMF team met with key figures in Belize's government, including Prime Minister John Briceño and other senior officials.
The discussions centered on Belize's economic recovery post-pandemic. Preliminary data suggests that while growth may slow in the near term, inflation is decreasing and the public debt-to-GDP ratio has seen a significant drop. However, further fiscal consolidation and structural reforms are necessary to meet future targets.
Economic projections indicate growth stabilizing around 2 percent over the medium term due to capacity constraints. To address these challenges, policy priorities identified include revenue mobilization, reprioritization of expenditure, enhanced access to finance, and resilience building against natural disasters.
"The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board," notes the report. It highlights that further steps such as operationalizing deposit insurance frameworks could improve financial stability.
The IMF team expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended by Belizean authorities during their visit.