It is the third time in a year the Washington DC-based lender has extended financial aid to the troubled country, which ran out of foreign exchange reserves last year when oil prices fell sharply.
The price slump, brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, deprived the fragile government in Juba of much-needed revenue and sent its currency into freefall.
Earlier this year, one US dollar was fetching 700 South Sudanese Pounds on the black market – the weakest exchange rate since independence a decade ago.
Central Bank Governor Dier Tong Ngor said the IMF loan would “substantially boost” foreign reserves and allow room to try and recover in the midst of the pandemic.
“The increase in reserves will help build external resilience and sustain the current reforms in the foreign exchange market,” Ngor said in a statement seen by AFP.
South Sudan is emerging from five years of civil bloodshed that left 380,000 dead and shattered its economy, which is almost entirely dependent on oil.
When it split from Sudan to the north in 2011 following a decades-long war of secession, it took over three-quarters of the oil reserves.
But years of civil conflict after independence, including for control of key oil fields, deprived the country of vital income and the chance to diversify its economy.
The coronavirus pandemic drove oil prices sharply downward, gutting state coffers for a fragile new unity government that took office in early 2020 at the end of a tortured peace process.
The government has not been able to pay civil servants on time, while the price of basic goods remains stubbornly high.
In April, the IMF approved $174 million in emergency support to South Sudan. The previous November, it extended a $52 million loan.
Devastating flooding has deepened the economic pain and worsened a humanitarian crisis in the world’s newest country, which is enduring its worst hunger levels since independence a decade ago.
Corruption and mismanagement are also often blamed for South Sudan’s economic troubles.
“South Sudan gets $334 million in loan from IMF”
*Let any South Sudanese piece of trash borrow a cent from the so-called IMF and the World Bank ever ever again*. And that low low would be be as good as dead, reasons, pure HATRED and RACISM. Read links fools: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiF94CJjMvyAhWm4jgGHdx5AJEQFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fbiography%2FPatrice-Lumumba&usg=AOvVaw3OOmqn7npOmeu9C9bN2r7u
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiF94CJjMvyAhWm4jgGHdx5AJEQFnoECAwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPatrice_Lumumba&usg=AOvVaw2p6eJkQb_JOi50DyIEKqG3
Mr. Patrice Lumumba has relation with us here in South Sudan. He was killed by Belgium criminals. Next time be very careful. We sold some of ourSouth Sudanese babies to Americas, Brazil and others. Our babies want to come back to their country, we are the Ancient Egyptians fools. Be very careful. White people are going to be seen in the *museums*. Listen to this song: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjSxZ6Mj8vyAhWQzjgGHXF-CDIQ3ywwAHoECAIQAg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-XWIPGBeY8M&usg=AOvVaw0BYbayYne5rLk2bkiksiDe
This song is a Congolese song, they are singing in Lingala, Here in South Sudan, their song is understood than English. Follow us low lives.