Zambia shies off Sh260b loans

Zambia has delayed receipt of loans totalling $2.6 billion (Sh260 billion) contracted last year to rein in its soaring debt, Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said on Friday.

Zambia’s external debt at the end of the first quarter of this year had increased to $10.178 billion (Sh102 billion) from $10.05 billion (Sh100 billion) at the end of 2018, Ms Mwanakatwe told business leaders.

The debt pile had pierced the $10 billion level after jumping from $8.74 billion at the end of 2017.

Mwanakatwe said the loans approved last year covered infrastructure, energy, agriculture, health, education and defence.

The 25 loans had been in the pipeline from 2016 to 2017 but only reached financial closure in the first and second quarters of last year, she said.

“We are going to manage disbursement to be able to have a sustainable debt profile going forward,” Mwanakatwe said, without stating how long disbursement would be delayed.

Struggling

The International Monetary Fund has repeatedly warned Zambia is struggling with high debts and shrinking foreign currency reserves.

Zambia’s 2018 fiscal deficit stood at 7.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), higher than an earlier government projection of around seven per cent.

Mwanakatwe said Zambia’s foreign reserves dropped to $1.43 billion (Sh143 billion) at the end of February 2019 from $1.56 billion (Sh156 billion) at the end of 2018.

Zambia’s GDP growth in 2019 would fall below three from 3.7 per cent last year due to adverse weather conditions, which would impact agricultural production and the energy sector.