The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued its concluding statement of the 2026 Article IV Mission. IMF is a major financial agency of the United Nation with 191 member countries, including St. Kitts & Nevis. Under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, the IMF holds bilateral discussions with members, usually every year.
IMF said in its concluding statement issued on Mar. 2nd: “Real GDP growth is estimated to have slowed to 1.5 percent in 2025 and is expected to pick up to 2.2 percent in 2026. The slowdown in 2025 reflects weaker-than-expected construction activity, despite a recovery in tourism, as well as headwinds from low Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) inflows and fiscal consolidation.”
IMF added “Near-term risks to growth are tilted to the downside. External risks include heightened global policy uncertainty—including related to CBI programs—geopolitical tensions, and volatility in commodity and financial markets, which could weigh on CBI inflows and tourism and adversely affect banks’ investment portfolios.”
Fiscal Policies: Current expenditure requires further rationalization. Streamlining should focus on continued rationalization of goods and services, tighter control of wage bill growth, the phasing out of electricity and water subsidies alongside tariff reforms, and time-bound, better-targeted social programs. For more information, visit imf.org to view the concluding statement in full.
