IMF board approves Argentina payout of almost $800 mln

WASHINGTON

The IMF executive board voted Thursday to approve a payout of almost $800 million for Argentina as it continues a program of drastic economic reforms under its libertarian president, Javier Milei.

A self-declared "anarcho-capitalist," Milei has vowed to halt Argentina's economic decline and reduce the budget deficit to zero, and has embarked on a program to slash public spending and bring down inflation, which remains at an annual rate of more than 275 percent.

"The Executive Board assessed the program to be firmly on track, with all quantitative performance criteria through end-March 2024 met with margins," the International Monetary Fund said in a statement.

The decision by the IMF executive board to approve the eighth review of its loan program with the Latin American nation will allow for the disbursement of just over $793 million, bringing the total disbursements under the existing program to more than $41 billion.

"The Board emphasized that sustaining the strong progress requires improving the quality of fiscal adjustment, initiating steps towards an enhanced monetary and FX (foreign exchange) policy framework, and implementing the structural agenda," the IMF said.

"Continued efforts to support the vulnerable, broaden political support and ensure agile policymaking will also be necessary," it added.

"The good news continues," Milei wrote on X, sharing the IMF statement.

The payout approval follows an announcement earlier in the day that Argentine inflation came in at 4.2 percent in May, the lowest in two-and-a-half years, according to the INDEC statistics agency.