South Sudan is seeking $250 million in financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to address its ongoing balance of payment challenges and stimulate economic growth.

The request comes in response to a significant decline in oil revenue, a crucial source of the nation’s income, following damage to a key pipeline.

The pipeline, which transports two-thirds of South Sudan’s crude oil, sustained damage in February.

Repairs have been delayed due to conflicts in neighboring Sudan, where the conduit passes through areas controlled by the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Also, a blockade on the Red Sea has further hampered oil exports, exacerbating the economic strain.

Bank of South Sudan Governor James Alic Garang, speaking at the African Development Bank’s annual meetings in Nairobi, emphasized the urgency of securing alternative financial support.

“We are facing severe challenges with our oil exports, which constitute about 90% of our revenue,” Garang said. “The impact on our economy is profound, reducing the volume of oil available for international markets and decreasing the hard currency inflow essential for meeting our obligations.”

Since 2020, South Sudan has received three rapid credit facilities from the IMF. These measures led to the initiation of a program monitoring with board involvement last year.

The first two reviews of this program were completed this month, with a third scheduled for November. After this, the government will seek the full quota of approximately $250 million.

Governor Garang highlighted that meeting the IMF’s policy requirements is crucial for securing the funds.

“We have already delivered an audit of the central bank’s financial statements for 2021,” he noted. “However, there are still areas where we need to intensify our efforts. With the IMF, there is no free lunch. We’re working very hard to meet those policy requirements.”

Efforts to increase non-oil revenue have been made, but they fall short of the country’s needs. The decline in oil production has significantly affected foreign exchange reserves, which can now only cover about two months of imports, compared to the IMF’s threshold of 3.5 months.

In addition to seeking IMF assistance, South Sudan is in discussions with Qatar for a resolution following a $1 billion court award to the Qatar National Bank over a defaulted loan. “We are negotiating to pay part of it, but we’ll still need to settle this debt,” Garang stated.

The $250 million from the IMF is expected to address several critical areas, including economic growth, inflation control, and the distribution of resources across the country.

It will also support essential sectors such as education and health, providing much-needed relief as South Sudan navigates through these economic challenges.

Oil prices stabilized in Asian trading on Monday as markets turned their attention to an upcoming OPEC+ meeting, where producers are expected to discuss maintaining voluntary output cuts for the remainder of the year.

This critical meeting, scheduled for June 2, will be held online following a brief postponement, OPEC announced last Friday.

The Brent crude oil, against which Nigerian crude oil is priced, stood at $82.36 a barrel, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil rose by 28 cents to $78 per barrel.

The stabilization in prices comes after a week of declines with Brent ending last week about 2% lower and WTI losing nearly 3%.

This downturn was influenced by minutes from the Federal Reserve’s recent meeting, revealing that some officials are open to further tightening interest rates if deemed necessary to control persistent inflation.

Market activity is expected to be relatively subdued on Monday due to public holidays in the United States and the United Kingdom.

However, anticipation is building around the OPEC+ meeting, where producers will deliberate on extending the current voluntary output cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day into the second half of the year. Sources within OPEC+ suggest that an extension is likely.

Sugandha Sachdeva, founder of Delhi-based research firm SS WealthStreet, expressed confidence in the potential extension, stating, “Oil futures are expected to maintain today’s gains due to expectations of the cuts being extended.”

She also highlighted the influence of upcoming U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) data on market movements, which will shape the Federal Reserve’s approach to potential rate adjustments.

Combined with an additional 3.66 million barrels per day of production cuts valid through the end of the year, these measures account for nearly 6% of global oil demand.

OPEC remains optimistic about continued growth in oil demand, forecasting an increase of 2.25 million barrels per day for the year, while the International Energy Agency (IEA) anticipates slower growth of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Analysts at ANZ noted that they will be closely monitoring gasoline usage as the Northern Hemisphere enters summer, a peak season for driving holidays.

They commented, “While U.S. holiday trips are expected to hit a post-COVID high, improved fuel efficiency and EVs could see oil demand remain soft,” but added that this could be offset by rising air travel.

This week’s market dynamics will also be influenced by the U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, due to be released on May 31.

The PCE index is regarded as the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation, and its findings could provide further indications of the central bank’s interest rate policies.

In a related development, Goldman Sachs has revised its forecast for 2030 oil demand upwards to 108.5 million barrels per day from the previous 106 million barrels per day.

The investment bank also projects peak oil demand to occur by 2034 at 110 million barrels per day, followed by a prolonged plateau until 2040.