Senegal Lawmakers Reject Budget Again, Putting IMF Deal at Risk

Senegalese lawmakers have again rejected the government’s revised 2026 finance law, prolonging a standoff that threatens to delay approval of a crucial International Monetary Fund program.

The parliament’s Finance and Budgetary Control Committee remained divided after talks late Friday over the treatment of special funds and assistance for vulnerable households, according to lawmakers and a government official involved in the discussions.

No further committee meeting has been formally scheduled. While a plenary session has been discussed for Tuesday, lawmakers have yet to receive an official summons.

The impasse risks complicating Senegal’s plan to win IMF board approval for a proposed $2.2 billion, 36-month program as early as next month. The government reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on Sept. 1, though further steps are required before the proposal can be presented to the fund’s executive board.

The West African nation is also restructuring its debt, a process that could be derailed if the government fails to overcome its differences with parliament’s largest party over the budget.

Read: Senegal’s Quickfire Debt Workout Plan Faces Speedbumps