00:01Senegal has denied a report. It secretly borrowed over $750 million to avoid a default, saying it acted in line
00:10with market transparency rules.
00:13The Financial Times reported Monday that Dakar had obtained the funds from development lender Africa Finance Corporation and a bank
00:21in Abu Dhabi last year.
00:22The paper said the terms of the loans give the two lenders privileges over existing bondholders.
00:30But in a statement late Tuesday, Senegal's finance ministry said that the transactions form part of the strategy to diversify
00:37financing sources as the West African nation works to raise cash to repay debt and cover the state's operating costs.
00:45The Senegalese government say the transactions, which carry a 7.1% interest rate, are better than those on the
00:52international markets.
00:53The current government accuses the administration of ex-President Macky Sall of having concealed the true extent of the budgetary
01:01situation.
Comments