The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Sunday that the economic growth forecast for Angola this year has been revised upwards, from 2.4% to 3%, praising the government for its reforms.

The director of the IMF's African department, revealed to Lusa that "in Angola, we forecast a growth of 3% for this year and about 4% in the medium term, but more than the destination point, what we are seeing is the trend, the country is coming out of an incredibly difficult period."

"Angola was hit by multiple shocks, first the decline in commodity prices in 2015 and 2016, which had huge effects on the economy, and when they were responding to that came the pandemic, which had an incredibly adverse effect on the economy," Abebe Aemro Selassie said in an interview with Lusa via video conference from Washington, added.

"We are finally seeing an economic expansion, it is very, very important and encouraging because it is a reflection of the measures that the government has taken to reform the country and control macroeconomic imbalances," Selassie pointed out.

The IMF believes that the Angolan economy should have come out of recession last year, foreseeing growth close to %, with the main international institutions and analysts predicting economic expansion of more than 2% this year, sustained not only by the recovery of oil prices, but also by the growth of the non-oil economy, as a result of the economic diversification underway.

Meanwhile, questioned about whether, after the end of the US$ 4.5 billion financial adjustment program that ended in December, the IMF and the Angolan government will agree on a new program, Selassie answered that it is still early, but he showed himself available for whatever the authorities need.

"We have not discussed a new program yet, we have the usual debate with exchange of ideas and analysis on economic indicators, but we are still waiting for the government to say how they want to do it, but it is too early, the program has just ended. Given all the adversity of the shocks they have faced, they have made a remarkable effort to deal with imbalances and it is very encouraging to see growth this year, but the key for the future will be to maintain reforms and economic expansion, and we will support them in any way they choose," he replied.