Banjul. Tanzania and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their long-standing strategic partnership following talks between Finance Minister Amb Khamis Mussa Omar and the Fund’s newly appointed Director of the African Department, Zeine Zeidane.
The meeting took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Banjul on the sidelines of the 2026 African Caucus meetings, where African finance ministers and central bank governors are discussing regional economic priorities.
The discussions focused on expanding cooperation between Tanzania and the IMF in support of the country’s economic development agenda.
Zeidane recently succeeded Abebe Aemro Selassie as Director of the IMF’s African Department after his appointment by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
A former Prime Minister and Central Bank Governor of Mauritania, Zeidane assumed the post in May this year and oversees the Fund’s engagement with 45 sub-Saharan African countries.
According to the Ministry of Finance, Tanzania has maintained a close relationship with the IMF since joining the institution on September 10, 1962.
Over that period, the IMF has committed total lending of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) 3.27 billion to Tanzania. Of that amount, an active lending portfolio of SDR 1.8 billion remains in place.
The ministry said the partnership has played an important role in supporting Tanzania’s development through financing, technical assistance and policy advice, while contributing to the implementation of key economic and development programmes.
The meeting was also attended by Zanzibar’s Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr Juma Malik Akil, and Bank of Tanzania Governor Emmanuel Tutuba.
The discussions came as African finance leaders gathered in Banjul to deliberate on measures to strengthen economic resilience, mobilise development finance and promote sustainable growth across the continent.
The programme included presentations by the IMF and the World Bank, with Zeidane among the keynote institutional speakers.
The IMF projects Tanzania’s economy to expand by 5.9 percent in 2026, supported by continued macroeconomic stability and investment-led growth.
Tanzania remains one of the Fund’s long-standing member countries, having maintained its membership for more than six decades.
