BEVERLY HILLS, April 13, (THEWILL) – The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, Monday approved immediate debt service relief for 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the Fund’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT).
The beneficiaries are: Afghanistan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, D.R., The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Togo, and Yemen.
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the Fund in a statement said deal is part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six months and will help them channel more of their scarce financial resources towards vital emergency medical and other relief efforts.
ALSO READ: COVID-19: IMF Approves US$1bn Credit For Ghana
“The CCRT can currently provide about US$500 million in grant-based debt service relief, including the recent US$185 million pledge by the U.K. and US$100 million provided by Japan as immediately available resources. Others, including China and the Netherlands, are also stepping forward with important contributions. I urge other donors to help us replenish the Trust’s resources and boost further our ability to provide additional debt service relief for a full two years to our poorest member countries,” she said.
THEWILL recalls that Nigeria amongst other members of the African Union had asked for debt relief from international lenders as the continent battles the coronavirus pandemic.
Nigeria had also specifically applied for a $3.bn loan from the IMF to help fund palliatives and support government spending as the coronavirus threatens revenue and foreign exchange.
About the Author
