Nicaragua : Staff Report for the 2002 Article IV Consultation and Requests for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility and for Interim Assistance Under the Enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

This paper assesses Nicaragua's 2002 Article IV Consultation and Requests for a Three-Year Arrangement Under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) and for Interim Assistance Under the Enhanced Initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC). A key program objective is medium-term fiscal sustainability. This will require a significant reduction of primary spending, while protecting poverty-reducing outlays, and an increase in tax revenues. The IMF staff recommends that the authorities' request for a new three-year PRGF arrangement and interim HIPC assistance be approved.