Montfort Mlachila is an advisor in the IMF African Department of the International Monetary Fund and is mission chief for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Until July 2014, he was Deputy Chief of the Regional Studies Division, where he was responsible for overseeing the preparation of the department’s flagship publication, the Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining the Africa Department, he served in the Strategy, Policy and Review, and the Western Hemisphere Departments. Before he joined the IMF, he was an economist at the Reserve Bank of Malawi. Mr. Mlachila has worked on a wide range of countries, and has published numerous articles in the areas of public finance, growth, international trade, and financial development. He holds a PhD from CERDI/University of Auvergne (France).