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"It's important for us to have clear agreement because this is what we have now to finance our development," he said. President Felix Tshisekedi's government has been revisiting a 2007 deal struck by his predecessor Joseph Kabila under which Sinohydro Corp (SINOH.UL) and China Railway Group Limited agreed to build roads and hospitals in exchange for a 68% stake in the Sicomines venture as well as a 2008 contract with CMOC. "We have already a framework, we have some key elements of change that we want to bring in that agreement," Kazadi said of Sicomines, though he declined to provide further details. "In only five days they have managed to burn and export 27 kilograms," Kazadi said, speaking of the joint venture that is owned 55% by the United Arab Emirates with the remainder owned by Kinshasa. Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Jorgelina do Rosario, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ghana extends domestic debt exchange deadline for third time
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ACCRA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Ghana has again extended the deadline to register for its domestic debt exchange, this time to Jan. 31, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said on Monday. The crisis-hit nation launched the debt swap plan at the start of December, days before clinching a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $3 billion rescue package. "Building consensus is key to a successful economic recovery for Ghana," Ofori-Atta wrote on Twitter, adding that registration for the debt exchange would be extended "pending further stakeholder engagement". The IMF has said its board will approve the deal only if Ghana undergoes comprehensive debt restructuring. The deadline for the debt swap, initially set for Dec. 19, had previously been extended to Dec. 30 and then to Jan. 16.

☆ Analysis: Investors snap up record $39 bln emerging market sovereign bond splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The scale of borrowing dwarfs the previous record of $26 billion raised in the same period in 2018, data from Morgan Stanley shows. ROARING STARTWhile emerging bond markets are off to a roaring start, that might not translate into a bumper year overall. That is well above last year's multi-year low of $95 billion, but well short of 2020's record $233 billion. "The blessing for 2023 is that we haven't got a huge spike in Eurobonds maturities for the frontier," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, referring to what are perceived as the riskiest of emerging markets. "Kenya and Angola will need to tap the market, while South Africa is staying away completely this year," she said.

Far from ignoring Lula's challenges to control the risks of this institutional shock, investors and analysts said however that the focus remains on fiscal issues when assessing the new government in the long term. If the new parameters are considered weak by the market, it could renew fears of fiscal dominance and prevent the BCB from easing." Discussions of the new fiscal framework are key under Lula's administration, after policymakers have highlighted inflationary risks arising from leftist President-elect's 168 billion reais ($32 billion) spending proposal to meet campaign promises. "The unsettled and deeply divided political environment and related high social tension keeps risk premia high and could undermine overall governability." (.JPMEGDBRAR)A mobilized opposition with the "potential to turn violent" is the main conclusion from Sunday's protests for the political risk advisory Eurasia Group.

REUTERS/Francis KokorokoLONDON/ACCRA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Ghana requested on Tuesday to restructure its bilateral debt under the common framework platform supported by the Group of 20 major economies, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. Ghana's debt restructuring under the common framework aims to include non-Paris club members, such as China in debt relief talks. Reuters reported first on Thursday that Ghana was seeking debt treatment under the G20 programme. Some bondholders said Ghana opting to go down the common framework route put the prospect of a swift resolution further out of reach. "With the common framework and the poor track record on the timeline for that, it just makes things more uncertain," said Anders Faergemann, portfolio managers at PineBridge Investments.

LONDON/ACCRA, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Ghana is poised to request debt relief via the G20 Common Framework programme and has sought reassurances that the negotiations can be expedited before proceeding, sources told Reuters. In December, Ghana launched a domestic debt exchange and later said it would default on nearly all of its $28.4 billion of external debts. If it received such assurances, the government would quickly sign onto the Common Framework, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another source with knowledge of Ghana's debt restructuring said it was hard to see any other outcome for Ghana than signing up to the Common Framework as they have left themselves no other options. The Common Framework, designed to allow for speedy debt reworks, has been widely criticised for its glacial progress.

Below are the events, trends and topics investors expect to shape the outlook for emerging markets next year. "The economic downturns along with the aggressive monetary tightening and geopolitical and commodity shocks that induce them will be temporarily painful in financial and emerging markets," said David Folkerts-Landau, group chief economist at Deutsche Bank. Globally, the war has transformed energy markets and inflation pressures, food security and geopolitical risk perception - factors that are often more keenly felt in emerging economies. "There's not actually a lot of debt maturing next year," said Carmen Altenkirch, emerging markets sovereign analyst at Aviva Investors. 6/ TURKEY ELECTIONSPresident Tayyip Erdogan could face the biggest political challenge of his two decades in power as Turks head to the ballot box in the most high-profile vote in emerging markets.

The cedi has lost more than 50% of its value this year , pushing up the cost of Ghana's external debt. Interest payments alone absorb between 70 and 100% of the government's revenuesHOW BIG IS GHANA'S DEBT? Ghana's public debt was 467.4 billion cedis ($37.4 billion) in September, of which 42% was domestic debt, according to the most recent central bank figures released last month. Ghana's debt-to-GDPWHO OWNS GHANA'S DEBT? The fund is yet to comment on Ghana's debt sustainability or domestic bond exchange plans.

☆ MercadoLibre in talks with WhatsApp on business messaging payments -CFO
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Facebook owner Meta said last month that it will launch a payments tool in Latin America's largest economy, allowing WhatsApp users to message and buy from a business directly in the chat. "We are in the test phase as one of the partners that processes payments in Brazil," Pedro Arnt told Reuters in an interview. The payments tool in Brazil would allow WhatsApp users to find a company's account through a directory service and make in-app transactions with credit or debit cards. "This could be an opportunity for us to leverage WhatsApp efficiently to generate more sales and better customer contacts," Arnt added. He did not say how advanced the test phase is nor indicate the potential revenue generation for its financial arm Mercado Pago.

☆ Moody's sees 'very high' foreign exchange risk for banks in Ukraine, Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Seher Dareen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Banks in countries such as Ukraine and Turkey face a "very high" risk from restrictions on capital flows, weak international reserves and a high level of foreign currency debt, Moody's Investors Service said in a report on Monday. "The banks become vulnerable to an increase in defaults on foreign currency loans granted to unhedged borrowers which hurts the banks' profitability, while their liquidity and capital can also come under pressure." MSCI's index of emerging market currencies (.MIEM00000CUS) is on course for its sharpest drop since 2015. "Altogether 20 banking systems face high or very high foreign-currency risk," the report added. Foreign exchange risk is at the lowest in emerging markets such as Chile, Ivory Coast and Indonesia.

☆ Analysis: Ghana overhaul a test for $1 billion World Bank-backed debt
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] A girl walks past a flag of Ghana outside the Cape Coast Castle, in Ghana, July 28, 2019. "If Ghana decides to use the guarantee, it has to pay back immediately to the World Bank," Mitu Gulati, a law professor at the University of Virginia and debt restructuring expert, said. "This is a highly protected instrument that was issued with the logic that Ghana would never default on the World Bank," Gulati said. Ghana 2030 bondIN OR OUT? Ghana has not yet said whether the 2030 issue will be part of its debt restructuring.

China is Sri Lanka's largest bilateral creditor and, with India and Japan, part of official creditor talks to restructure the country's debt. "China will have to play a major role in Sri Lanka's debt restructuring process," CARI researchers Umesh Moramudali and Thilina Panduwawala wrote in the report. The island nation's total external debt is $37.6 billion, according to the report. Adding central bank foreign currency debt, including a $1.6 billion currency swap with China, public external debt rises to $40.6 billion, of which 22% is from Chinese creditors. The loan agreements have clauses that "submit the loans to Chinese governing law and arbitration before the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission".

☆ EBRD to support $206 million in Ukraine investment via local banks
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Wednesday it will help facilitate loans in Ukraine for key industries from agriculture to pharmaceuticals. The bank will issue risk-sharing instruments to local banks Credit Agricole Ukraine, ProCredit Bank, OTP Bank Ukraine and leasing company OTP Leasing aimed at backing up half of the risk of 200 million euros ($206.34 million) in new financing, according to an emailed statement from the bank. The EBRD will provide a 50-million euro guarantee to support the lending, which is also aimed at sectors such as food processing, transport and logistics and retail. "The bank's dedicated food security package envisages supporting 200 million euros of investment this year in Ukraine," the statement added. ($1 = 0.9693 euros)Reporting by Jorgelina do RosarioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EBRD warns of rise in 'zombie' firms if pandemic measures continue
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development urged governments in its region to rethink COVID-19 support measures for companies, warning that propping up "zombie" firms could have a knock-on effect on healthy businesses. However, ongoing support was no longer sustainable in a world of high interest rates, the EBRD said. Having zombie firms present in an economy creates negative spillovers for healthy firms, which see lower investment, revenue and employment, the EBRD warned. The problem is more present in economies dominated by government-run companies and banks, the EBRD found: 13% of state-owned enterprises in the 12-country sample used for the study could be classified as zombie firms, compared with 9% of privately-owned firms. The EBRD report also showed mixed progress on reforms by countries in six key areas, from competitiveness and resilience to the way they are governed.

☆ Mexico nominates central banker Esquivel for IDB presidency -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Mexico has nominated Mexican central bank board member Gerardo Esquivel for the presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), four people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Headquartered in Washington, the IDB is a key investor in Latin America and the Caribbean. Esquivel, 56, is regarded as perhaps the most doveish member of the board of the Bank of Mexico (Banxico), and his term there is currently scheduled to conclude in December. Former IDB President Mauricio Claver-Carone, the only American president in the bank's history, was fired in September after an investigation showed he had an intimate relationship with a subordinate, Reuters exclusively reported. ET on Nov. 11, with the bank's governors to vote on the next president early on Nov. 20, an IDB official said.

Creditors and investors are closely monitoring how China, the world's largest bilateral lender, is managing debt negotiations around the world. The policy bank has extended to Zambia more than half of Chinese loans while a $982 million loan was made jointly with the Industrial Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Including commercial lending, Zambia government data showed it owed more than a third of its $17.27 billion external debt to Chinese lenders by end-2021. Reuters GraphicsThe bank also leads China's team in Ethiopia's bilateral debt talks, its state finance minister told Reuters last month. In 2018, EximBank agreed to extend repayment on a loan worth at least $2.5 billion for a railway between Addis Ababa and Djibouti by 20 years.

☆ Egypt's pound sinks further against dollar after flexibility pledge
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAIRO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Egypt's pound fell about 4% to 24 against the dollar as trading resumed on Sunday, Refinitiv data showed, after authorities committed to a flexible exchange rate under an International Monetary Fund support deal. The pound slid about 14.5% to 23 against the dollar on Thursday after they pledged a "durably flexible" exchange rate in conjunction with a staff-level agreement for a $3 billion IMF extended fund facility. Egypt's currency has been held steady or allowed to depreciate only gradually following previous sharp devaluations in 2016 and this March. It has weakened about 34.5% against the dollar so far this year. It introduced a mandatory requirement for importers to use letters of credit, leading to a sharp slowdown in imports and bottlenecks at ports.

BUENOS AIRES/LONDON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Argentina reached a deal to restructure some $1.97 billion it owes the Paris Club, Argentina's government and the creditor group said on Friday, which will push repayments back as far as 2028 and bring relief of some $248 million to the country. "Today, Argentina successfully completed an agreement with the Paris Club to normalize relations between our country, our companies, and our workers with the countries of the European bloc," Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa said. The deal would see the current 9% interest rate on the debt cut to a weighted average of 4.5%, according to a document shared with Reuters by officials. read moreThe Paris Club, whose members include the United States, Japan and Germany, last year gave Argentina more time to repay the debt while it carried out an ultimately successful negotiation with the IMF over a new $44 billion program. The Paris Club said in a statement the two sides had revamped the debt deal to clear remaining payments over a six-year period between December 2022 and September 2028.

☆ Investors avoiding China stocks face less pain in bearish year for markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Emerging market investors who avoided Chinese shares this year have seen less pain than those with portfolios exposed to the gamut of EM stocks, a trend exacerbated by this week's selloff. The iShares Emerging Markets excluding China ETF (EMXC.O) has fallen by 25% so far this year, its worst performance since its inception in 2017. But it has still beaten the 30% decline in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF , which includes Chinese equities, in this time, according to Refinitiv data. Foreign investors sold a net 17.9 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) of Chinese onshore shares via Stock Connect on Monday, the biggest outflow since the scheme was launched in 2014. Investors bought a net 2.8 billion yuan ($390 million) of Chinese onshore shares on Tuesday.

LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - A failure to secure meaningful progress on a debt relief for the world's poorest nations at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting in Washington has left policymakers, campaigners and investors frustrated. Two years ago the Group of 20 launched the Common Framework - a mechanism designed to provide a swift and comprehensive debt overhaul to nations buckling under debt burdens after COVID-19 shock that would reach beyond temporary debt payment moratoriums. The Common Framework is a good start, but you need some fixes." China's role as a lender to poorer nations and Beijing's foot-dragging on debt relief drew much ire at the Washington meeting. JPMorgan's Joyce Chang, whose bank held an investor seminar alongside the IMF World Bank gathering, said asset managers had more discussions on repayment challenges and restructurings for emerging markets than at any time since the 1990s.

The veteran finance minister said multilateral development banks and international donors have been "quite flexible" with ways to meet Pakistan's external financing needs estimated at about $32 billion after devastating floods. But asked whether Pakistan would seek to reduce debt principal, he said "rescheduling is fine, but we are not seeking a haircut. RUPEE DEFENDERDar, who served as Pakistan's finance minister three previous times -- most recently from 2013 to 2017 -- is known as a staunch defender of the rupee . Dar said that he views the "true value" of the rupee at a level under 200 to the dollar. The Pakistan finance minister added that the IMF's new emergency "food shock" borrowing window may also be a good fit for the country, which has lost crops due to devastating floods and may need to import up to half million of tons of wheat in the next year.

China co-chairs a committee of official bilateral creditors with France as part of a debt restructuring that Zambia is seeking under the Group of 20's Common Framework, a platform for highly indebted countries to rework their debt with bilateral creditors. At the end of 2021, China held about a third of Zambia's $17.27 billion international debt, according to Zambian government data. Musokotwane said negotiating with bilateral creditors including China before private creditors had "worked fairly well", but acknowledged there had been complaints from international investors who hold the country's sovereign bonds. It is now seeking a present value $6.3 billion debt reduction, or 49% of the external debt being restructured. "There is no point of pretending that there is something that is better, when doing so means that you leave Zambia still with an unsustainable debt situation," Musokotwane said.

Ethiopia's State Finance Minister Eyob Tekalign attends the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, U.S., October 15, 2022. Ethopia's state finance minister Eyob Tekalign Tolina acknowledged the war was a key factor in the delay as well, and said he hoped there would be peace talks in "the coming few weeks" in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings in Washington. He said Ethiopia was requesting "exceptional access" to IMF funding of more than 100% of its allowance, but declined to say how much exactly. "As you know, we have been calling for the AU process, the AU-led peace talks, which is advancing now." He declined to specify how much debt relief the country requires, saying that the IMF still needs to finish a Debt Sustainability Analysis, which forms the basis of debt restructurings.

But she said a more effective debt restructuring process was also needed, and China had a big role to play. The Paris Club creditor nations last month reached out to China and India seeking to coordinate closely on Sri Lanka's debt talks, but are still awaiting a reply. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner also joined the growing criticism of China's lack of timely participation in debt restructuring for lower-income countries. China has argued it would not take part in some cases unless the IMF and World Bank also took a haircut. Lindner told reporters he regretted that China had not accepted his invitation to participate in the G7 roundtable with African countries.

☆ Analysis: IMF plugs financing gaps as riskier emerging markets face squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia and Malawi are all in talks on some type of IMF financing. Countries' debt burdens have risen. Turning to the IMF for financing has been the traditional playbook for smaller, strained countries in times of crisis. A set of new IMF tools should also help funnel more funds to such countries in the short-term. "But IMF does act as an anchor and allows access to a broader set of funding, even if not from the market," said Alexandru-Chidesciuc.

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