debt restructuring

Kenya could run out of money to repay massive debts: how to avoid this

By Odongo Kodongo, University of the Witwatersrand Data from Kenya’s central bank show that public debt (total money owed) declined between December 2023 and June 2024. The drop in external debt – by 15.4 % – over this period does not mean that the country’s overall finances have improved. Rather, it is due to the gains in the value of the Kenyan shilling, thanks to pervasive state […]

17 September, 2024 50

Uncategorized

World Bank approves $1.5 billion funding for Ethiopia

The World Bank pledged $16.6 billion of funding to Ethiopia over three years, providing a fillip to eastern Africa’s biggest economy as it restructures its debt and opens up the nation to foreign investors. Bloomberg Africa reports that the International Development Association’s assistance includes a $1 billion grant and a $500 million concessional loan to help the Horn of Africa nation strengthen its financial sector and improve fiscal transparency. According […]

31 July, 2024 24

Africa

Zambia begins debt restructuring process

Zambia’s international bondholders should quickly complete the restructuring of the notes after the government announced the start of the process, says International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Bloomberg Africa reports that the government of Africa’s first pandemic-era sovereign defaulter will meet eurobond investors on June 4th to ask them to approve exchanging what’s grown to almost $3.9 billion of debt for new instruments.

14 May, 2024 19

Africa

Zambia’s arts and creative sector is thriving

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Zambia’s recent unveiling of a National Arts and Revised Film Policy is evidence of the growing interest in increasing investment and fostering the growth of the arts and creative sector. Besides committing to invest close to US$100 million in the arts and film sector between 2024 and 2028, the policy commits to improving artists' welfare in a bid to promote talent by […]

8 April, 2024 33

Business / Economics

Sri Lanka cuts key interest rates, seeks China deal

Sri Lanka's central bank cut interest rates Tuesday as the prime minister visited China seeking a debt restructuring deal crucial to maintaining an IMF bailout. Transport minister and government spokesman Bandula Gunawardana said Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was in Beijing, the island's biggest bilateral creditor. "We are in the final stages of restructuring our foreign debt and the prime minister is in China for this purpose," Gunawardana told […]

26 March, 2024 35

Africa

African countries are struggling with high debt, demands to spend more and collapsing currencies: the policy fixes that could help

By Jonathan Munemo, Salisbury University Highly indebted African countries are facing stark trade-offs between servicing expensive debt, supporting high and growing development needs, and stabilising domestic currencies. Government debt has risen in at least 40 African countries over the past decade. As a result, some are experiencing a bad combination of high debt, elevated development spending needs amid budget shortfalls, and unfavourable exchange rate pressures. These issues have become […]

1 February, 2024 10

Africa

IMF tracking shows that no African state has sought comprehensive debt relief in over a year indicating a trend of growing fiscal hygiene across the region

By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Countries in Africa are showing signs of improving fiscal management, as they navigate through a cascading set of global shocks that exacerbated their debt vulnerabilities. Remarkably, no state has sought comprehensive debt relief since Ghana’s request over a year ago, signalling a trend of growing fiscal discipline across the region. The improvement bucks the trend of recent years, given that […]

25 January, 2024 15

Africa

Zambia’s foreign debt tragedy – what needs to happen to resolve the crisis

By Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria Three years after defaulting on its foreign debt, Zambia is still trying to reach agreement with all its creditors on how to manage this situation. This has left the southern African country in a state of development finance limbo. It is handicapped in raising the funds needed to generate jobs, build infrastructure, provide health, education and social services and deal with climate change. Its president, […]

1 December, 2023 14