Browsing: Ghana debt

• Ghana, a top gold and cocoa exporter rich in oil and gas deposits, is struggling with a $55 billion debt burden.
• About 70 percent to 100 percent of the government revenue currently goes toward servicing the country’s debt.
• It is estimated that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP will reach 98.7 percent by the end of 2023.

Crisis-saddled Ghana is seeing about $15 billion in external debt relief by 2026, the International Monetary Fund has said even as the country pursues debt restructuring plan with investors. In December 2022, Ghana suspended payments on most of its foreign debts effectively defaulting as policymakers started restructuring plans as part of a bailout deal with the IMF.

Initial plan was an agreement to suspend service payments of its Eurobonds, commercial loans and most bilateral loans. Further, as an interim emergency measure, the government moved to engage its external creditors in what it thought was best in making …

• The IMF deal caused the cedi to appreciate, relieving price constraints and potentially mitigating a downturn in commercial activity
• S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, which gauges the health of the private sector, increased somewhat from 44.9 in November 2022 to 47 in December 2022
• The cedi gained 41% versus the dollar last month and saw a reduction in projected losses for 2022 to 39%, which lowered inflation and gave businesses some reprieve

A staff-level finance agreement with the IMF caused the cedi to appreciate, relieving price constraints that have afflicted the industry for more than a year and potentially mitigating a downturn in commercial activity in Ghana.

S&P Global’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, which gauges the health of the private sector, increased somewhat from 44.9 in November 2022 to 47 in December 2022.

However, it remained below the 50-point threshold that distinguishes expansion from contraction for the 11th consecutive month.

According …

• The Ghanaian parliament has approved a proposal by the government to borrow up to US$750 million from Afreximbank
• A seven-year portion of the loan is broken up into two parts: one for US$102.19 million with an interest rate of 6.49 per cent overall, including fees, and another for 101 million dollars with a rate of 9.55 per cent overall
• In June, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta requested parliament to accelerate the authorisation of the loans

The Ghanaian parliament has authorised a proposal by the government to borrow up to US$750 million from the African Export-Import Bank for the 2022 budget.

In June, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta requested parliament to accelerate the authorisation of the loans.

However, differences have held up the process even though the country faces skyrocketing inflation, lacklustre economic growth and a tumbling local currency.

The vote by the deadlocked parliament eliminates a significant obstacle for the government of …