Niger - Financial Reforms and Food Security Support Programme – Phase II

The Financial Reforms and Food Security Support Programme (PAREFSA) is a programmatic series of two consecutive General Budget Support (GBS) operations covering fiscal years 2015 and 2016. This multi-year framework provides predictable funding and creates a medium-term platform for dialogue on key reforms. The programme responds to the major challenges and constraints that Niger continues to face in addressing the vulnerability of its economy to external shocks with a view to sustainable and balanced socio-economic development. The present operation (PAREFSA II) constitutes the second phase of this support. The components of PAREFSA II remain the same as those defined in the evaluation report of the initial programme, namely : (1) Strengthening of budgetary management and (2) Strengthening resilience to food crises. The programme will support the Government of Niger (GoN) in its efforts to deepen and consolidate the reforms introduced under PAREFSA I. The main expected results of the programme are as follows (i) a tax burden rate of at least 17.2%; (ii) a budget execution rate of at least 85% in 2016 against an average of 72% over the period 2011-2014; (iii) the establishment and operationalization of the National Observatory for the Promotion of Gender; (iv) the restoration of 1,200 ha of degraded pastoral rangelands ; (v) the increase in the livestock sub-sector's contribution to GDP by 12%; (vi) the adoption of the national agricultural policy.