Bussiness
Six-year period for debt sustainability will drag out debt service burden – Bright Simons
Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons says government’s plans of using a period of six years to restore debt sustainability throws into question the truth about the IMF negotiations reaching advanced stages.
“Six yrs is of course twice the duration of an IMF program. And using 6 yrs to restore debt sustainability means dragging out the debt service burden. These sound like opening gambits in a negotiation. Will make many analysts doubt that the talks are “advanced” as he says,” Bright Simons tweeted last night.
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His comment follows the President’s assurances of government’s efforts to reduce the total public debt to GDP ratio to some fifty-five percent (55%) in present value terms by 2028.
To restore and sustain debt sustainability, the servicing of the country’s external debt is pegged at a minimum of eighteen percent (18%) of annual revenue by 2028, President Akufo-Addo said in an address to the nation on the economy last night.
But Bright Simons argued the government’s negotiation posture at the IMF is problematic.
“The govt wants to use 6 yrs to fix its unsustainable debt & doesn’t want debt restructuring? he questioned.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has assured all Ghanaians that no individual or institutional investor, including pension funds, in Government treasury bills or instruments will lose their money, as a result of the ongoing IMF negotiations.
“There will be no “haircuts”, so I urge all of you to ignore the false rumours, just as, in the banking sector clean-up, Government ensured that the 4.6 million depositors affected by the exercise did not lose their deposits.”
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
Bussiness
Charterhouse announces the Business Elevate Series with launch of ‘The Gastro Feastival’
Charterhouse, Ghana’s leading event management and audiovisual production company, is marking its 25th anniversary of delivering top-tier events with the introduction of an exciting new initiative: The Business Elevate Series.
This innovative series is designed to shine a spotlight on key economic sectors through a series of dynamic B2B and B2C events, including industry conferences, seminars, and exhibitions.
Kicking off the series is The Gastro Feastival, a groundbreaking annual food industry festival that will showcase Ghana’s rich and diverse food ecosystem and agribusinesses from production to consumption.
The launch event will take place on Friday, March 7, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Grand Arena (Accra International Conference Centre).
This landmark event will bring together food industry stakeholders, enthusiasts, experts, and organizations to highlight the food industry’s critical role in Ghana’s socio-economic development and culture.
It will also promote food security, digital innovation, women’s empowerment, youth employment in agribusiness, and sustainable practices.
The Business Elevate Series is a game-changing initiative designed to foster growth and transformation across multiple sectors. With Charterhouse’s deep expertise in organizing impactful meetings, the series aims to unlock investment opportunities, drive innovation, and catalyze social and economic change.
The Gastro Feastival will address six major pillars that drive industry transformation: Investment Opportunities; Job Creation; Innovation, Technology, and Digitization; Youth Involvement (entrepreneurship and career opportunities); Women’s Involvement; Environmental and Social Governance (ESG); Export Opportunities
The event will also establish a Resource Bank, spotlighting key growth opportunities and ensuring the effective allocation of resources to transform Ghana’s food industry.
The Gastro Feastival is a Charterhouse initiative, with Kosmos Innovation Centre as the technical partner.
Bussiness
Ghana’s GDP shows economy is fast recovering despite DDEP – Finance Ministry
Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicates a rapid economic recovery despite global challenges and ongoing debt restructuring, according to the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
The Ministry in a statement today indicated that latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), cumulative economic growth for the second quarter (Q2) of 2024 reached 6.9%, a notable increase from the 4.7% recorded in the first quarter of 2024.
The MoF statement further noted that, “The economy’s robust recovery is in response to the macroeconomic stability and growth interventions that government is pursuing under our IMF-supported Post Covid-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG).”
According to them, the overall real GDP growth for the first half of 2024 rebounded strongly, with year-on-year GDP growth averaging 5.8% for the period, significantly higher than the 2.9% recorded in the same period in 2023.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Read full statement below
