By Andrea Shalal
(Reuters) – Zambia’s creditors are set to commit to the debt relief necessary to unlock $1.4 billion from the IMF in the next day or two, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, as the southern African country and its lenders seek to end a drawn-out restructuring process.
After meeting on Monday, Zambia’s bilateral creditors agreed to release a statement on their position sufficient for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) board to sign off on a $1.4 billion three-year program, the source said.
The creditors are due to release a positive statement, a second source said, without providing further details.
In 2020, Zambia became the first African country to default on its debts in the pandemic era, struggling with external debts that reached $17.27 billion at the end of last year, according to government data.
“I’m hopeful that Zambia may be able to get debt relief in the next few days,” World Bank President David Malpass told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. “There was just a creditors meeting yesterday so that gives some sign of hope.”
A public relations firm representing Zambia’s government declined to comment.
Zambia reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF on the $1.4 billion extended credit facility in December, but will not get the money until it agrees with its creditors to reduce the debt to sustainable levels.
The first creditor meeting was held in June, after Zambia’s government complained of delays to the restructuring, which is taking place under the Common Framework, a debt relief process launched in 2020 by the Group of 20 major economies that is yet to show results.
Chad’s Common Framework creditor committee met last week and Ethiopia’s on Tuesday, with the IMF calling on lenders to reach agreements quickly.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Seoul; Writing by Rachel Savage in London; Editing by Leslie Adler)
