HARARE, Sept 20, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Zimbabwe's economic growth is projected to
slump to around half of last year's levels due to growing fiscal instability
and a drop in agricultural output, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said
Monday.

"After rising to about seven percent in 2021, real GDP growth is expected to
decline to about three-and-half percent in 2022" as erratic rains and rising
macroeconomic instability hamper agriculture, Dhaneshwar Ghura, head of a
visiting IMF team, said in a statement.

Zimbabwe's economy has been on a downturn for nearly two decades.

New price and exchange rate depreciation pressures have resurfaced.

Inflation soared to 285 percent in August, said the IMF, up from 60 percent
at the beginning of the year.

"Uncertainty remains high, however, and the outlook will depend on the
evolution of external shocks, the policy stance, and implementation of
inclusive growth-friendly policies," Ghura said following a visit to the
capital Harare.

The IMF offers technical support to Zimbabwe, but is precluded from providing
financial aid to the country "due to unsustainable debt and official external
arrears", he said.

Any financial deal would require the clearance of external debt arrears,
macroeconomic stability, poverty reduction and transparency reforms.