Ghana\u2019s decision to repay its 2007 Eurobond on the maturity date will further deepen its reputation among external investors and increase patronage of future bonds to be issued.<\/p>\n
That is the assertion of Economist, Daniel Amarteye Anim.<\/p>\n
According to him, the positive signal offered investors is also critical considering the need to devise strategies to retire the country\u2019s ballooning debt.<\/p>\n
Daniel Amarteye Anim\u2019s comments come on the back of government\u2019s move to retired the last installment of the 2007 Eurobond.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe decision to ensure that we meet repayment obligation is very key and critical as it will further enhance our credit worthiness especially in the eyes of international investors. However, once we do that what it means is that any inflows that comes in the form of a new issuance of a bond that is supposed to be used to execute pressing developmental projects, a certain percentage of it will be sacrificed for the matured repayment of the bond that was contracted earlier on,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
The bond, which was the first to be issued by any sub Saharan country at the time, matures this year and the repayment is said to have been completed on October 4, 2017.<\/p>\n
A Former Finance Minister, Seth Terkper has described the move as necessary considering the impact of falling commodity prices on the economy.<\/p>\n
He also alluded to the retiring of the debt with about 200 million dollars from proceeds from oil and previous bonds issued.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Daniel Amarteye Anim has urged that the government commits to utilising money borrowed from international market to be channeled into interest yielding ventures.<\/p>\n
In his view, this will provide a more flexible mechanism to reap enough interests and quicken the repayment plan for the government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am looking at a time where we could devise a strategy where if we raise money through a bond from the international community it should be invested into sectors that the investment itself can generate sufficient inflows to meet our repayment obligations as and when they arise or mature,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Ghana issued its first Euro bond, a 10-year Eurobond in 2007.<\/p>\n
The issue, which raised US$750 million from investors at a coupon of 8.5 percent, made Ghana the first nation in sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa to borrow from international capital markets.<\/p>\n
In 2013, the country used US$250 million of the 1 billion dollar Eurobond it issued to retire part of the 2007 issue.<\/p>\n
Ghana also used US$100 million of the 2014 and US$216 million of the 2016 Bond proceeds to augment the retirement (As at end 2016, Ghana retired approximately US$550 million) of the 2007 Bond, through a liability management or exchange plan for its new and old bonds.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
By: Pius Amihere Eduku\/citibusinessnews.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ghana\u2019s decision to repay its 2007 Eurobond on the maturity date will further deepen its reputation among external investors and increase patronage of future bonds to be issued. That is the assertion of Economist, Daniel Amarteye Anim. According to him, the positive signal offered investors is also critical considering the need to devise strategies to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[121,32,171,11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n