London/Washington, October 23rd, 2008 – The inability to make significant progress in securing debt relief programs for the poorest nations of the world in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington has made policymakers, campaigners, and investors dissatisfied.
Two years ago, the Group of 20 launched the Common Framework – a mechanism that was designed to offer a quick and thorough debt overhaul to nations struggling to pay their debts following the COVID-19 crisis. It will go beyond debt repayment moratoriums.
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However, results have proved difficult and have been hampered by a an inability to make progress on getting the major creditors to sit down at the table, and getting them to sign a the same action, as well as the establishment of debt parameters that will are the basis for talks as well as the political turmoil in a few countries.
The poorest nations of the world face $35 billion in debt-service charges to creditors in the private sector and official sectors by 2022. More than 40 percent of which will be owed to China according to The World Bank found.
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The economy has improved and the burden of debt has gotten larger,” IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva addressed a gathering in London following the Washington meeting that ended in mid-October.
Debt restructurings can be a lengthy process and getting many participants to come together on a joint process is not easy. However, there are doubts about slow progress.
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“It isn’t perfect. I am responsible for it as one of those who negotiated” Guillaume Chabert, IMF deputy strategy chief who assisted in creating the Common Framework during his time at the Paris Club, told a panel in Washington.
“We require a speedy and efficient, and orderly and reliable system that is predictable, stable, and secure. Common Framework is a good start. Common Framework is a good starting point, but you’ll require some tweaks.”
With Zambia the continent’s first COVID-era defaulting in 2020, it’s not clear who would lead discussions to re-examine its $6.5 billion loan with China.
Ethiopia’s debt restructuring process has come to a halt , with the country being engulfed by the civil conflict.
Official creditors determined that Chad who was the first to apply for Command Framework treatment in January 2021, may not require debt relief at all due to the price of oil rising however they indicated their readiness to convene again in the event of a need.
CHAD CHALLENGE
Particularly, Chad’s story could deter other nations from applying for relief, according to experts.
Chabert acknowledged that there is an opportunity for Chad’s creditors to not be able to sign their memorandum of agreement or that its largest private creditor, the commodities company Glencore (GLEN.L) Glencore (GLEN.L) pull out and effectively stop the current IMF as well as World Bank programs.
China’s position as a lender for countries with less money and Beijing’s slow progress on debt relief caused a lot of criticism during the Washington meeting. U.S. officials warn this could affect hundreds of low and middle-income nations with debt service issues, slower growth and inadequate investment.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other Western leaders gathered in Washington intensified their criticism of China, the world’s largest lender, as the primary obstruction to progressing with the debt restructuring agreement.
Chabert explained that, in addition to expediting processes, it was crucial to ensure comparability of procedures for the different set of creditors currently affected.
JPMorgan’s Joyce Chang, whose bank organized an investor conference alongside at the IMF World Bank gathering, said asset managers engaged in more discussions regarding repayment issues and restructuring in emerging market economies than at any moment since the 1990s.
“Solutions aren’t clear and there was plenty of discussion on the flaws within the common framework” said Change, the director for global research as well as of the group that conducts strategic research at the Wall Street bank, in an overview of the discussions.
According to Kevin Gallagher, director of the Boston University Global Development Policy Center The U.S. Treasury also needs to be more assertive in dealing with creditors from private companies, just as it did during the highly indebted poor country process as well as in Iraq.
“We demonstrated in the 1990s that we could force the private sector to be more cooperative with us through the use of carrots and sticks but we’re not going to accept it,” he said, acknowledging that the debt restructuring process was a “huge issue”.
“It’s like going to an emergency facility with a head wound that’s bleeding and then being told you’re okay.”
