As ongoing volatility continues to hamper growth in the region, Jordan has made significant progress in preserving macroeconomic stability and reducing its fiscal deficit in the past few years. Efforts to the fulfill the stipulations of a $723m extended fund facility agreement with the IMF continue, and the government may need to pursue more widespread reforms to increase income tax revenues and limit tax avoidance so as to sustain recent momentum.
Occupying a strategic position at the crossroads of India, China and Thailand, and now in its seventh year of sweeping economic liberalisation and political transition, Myanmar remains one of the fastest-growing economies in South-east Asia.
Although Bahrain has faced economic headwinds in recent years, the modest recovery of oil prices in 2017 bodes well for the future in addition to the non-oil sector driving growth, with activities unrelated to hydrocarbons extraction forecast to expand by 3.9% in 2018.
Côte d’Ivoire has seen rapid growth since a decade-long bout of civil unrest ended in 2011, registering an average GDP growth rate of 9.3% in the five years to 2016. By far the biggest economy in the UEMOA and the third largest in ECOWAS, the IMF expects GDP expansion in the West African nation to be sustained, forecasting growth of above 7% through to 2019.
As Egypt enters 2018, a newly liberalised local currency and the recent implementation of a much-anticipated investment framework have left the country well positioned for continued economic expansion: the IMF expects GDP growth to reach 4.5% in 2018 and accelerate to around 6% over the medium term.
Morocco has long been recognised as one of the most advanced nations in Africa due to its strategic location and sizeable diaspora community, as well as its well-developed manufacturing sector, mining industry and agricultural output.