BANGKOK — Zimbabwe is pushing for international backing for its arrears clearance and debt resolution at the 2026 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

The event is running from 12 to 18 October.

The delegation, led by Finance Minister Prof. Mthuli Ncube, met World Bank Vice President Ndiame Diop, IMF Executive Director Adriano Ubisse and IMF Africa Director Zeine Zeidane.

Talks centred on Zimbabwe’s reform progress under its IMF Staff-Monitored Programme (SMP), with a staff-level agreement on the second review reached in September and a final review expected in December.

The programme is seen as key to building a track record for debt restructuring.

The Ministry of Finance highlighted macro stability gains, single-digit inflation, a stable ZiG and stronger revenues.

This is supported by growth of about 8% in 2025, projected at 5% in 2026, and agricultural growth of 27%.

Government says it is finalising a social registry to improve targeting of safety nets including BEAM, while addressing social spending commitments under the SMP.

On climate resilience, priorities include strategic grain reserves, cash transfers and expanded cloud seeding.

Zimbabwe is seeking partners to champion arrears clearance, exploring bridge financing and potential IDA support, while also clearing domestic arrears.

The Ministry of Finance said coordinated support would help translate reform progress into a credible, financed pathway, restoring access to concessional finance for jobs, infrastructure and services.