JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Executive Board has approved a disbursement of $147 million under its Rapid Financing Instrument to help Gabon confront the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fund said in a statement.

“In the short term, a temporary widening of the budget deficit is warranted to contain the virus outbreak and offset the social and economic impact of the pandemic,” IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa said.