Ghana has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with its bilateral creditors, including China and France, to restructure $5.4 billion of debt. This agreement is a crucial step towards securing $360 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under Ghana’s $3 billion bailout program, expected next month.
The MoU provides a framework for restructuring loans from official creditors, following an agreement by the Paris Club in January.
Ghana defaulted on most of its $30 billion external debt during the pandemic. Since then, inflation has dropped from 54.1% in December 2022 to 25% in April 2024, with GDP growth reaching 2.9% in 2023.
The IMF has declared Ghana’s debt unsustainable, aiming to reduce the public debt-to-GDP ratio from 88.1% in 2022 to 55% by 2028. Terms with official creditors are crucial for bondholders, who seek equitable treatment under the G20 Common Framework for debt restructuring.
Ghana completed a domestic debt restructuring in October, saving 61 billion Ghanaian cedis ($17.5 billion). The government continues to work towards meeting IMF requirements for its debt restructuring program.
