Ms. Georgieva’s visit “should also be an opportunity for Government to provide updates on the implementation of the IMF ECF (Extended Credit Facility) program which was granted last year,” they further say.
Officials of the civil and faith societies add that they expect there will be more engagement between the Zambian government, IMF, and CSOs regarding the implementation of the ECF.
ECF is an IMF program that provides assistance to countries with prolonged dues and experiencing challenges in paying the debts.
In August last year, the IMF approved a US$ 1.3 billion ECF to help Zambia restore its macroeconomic stability and promote economic growth after the country defaulted on its external debt in 2020.
In their January 20 statement, officials of the alliance which brings together Zambian CSOs working on debt-related issues say the visit of the IMF Managing Director is “a demonstration of confidence in the progress Zambia has made so far with regards to debt and economic management.”
They also express the hope that Ms. Georgieva’s visit to the Southern African country will provide assurances about the IMF’s commitment to ensuring Zambia’s debt restructuring.
CSO Debt Alliance officials say they are optimistic that the new IMF proposed global sovereign debt roundtable of creditors and some borrower countries "gives hope for reducing the time lag for debt restructuring.”
The roundtable of creditors is expected to meet for the first time in February 2023, alongside the G-20 Finance Ministers meeting in India.
Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.
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