Ethiopia Nears Restructuring Deal With Bondholders

The Ministry of Finance announced today it has reached an agreement in principle with an Ad Hoc Committee representing investors behind its one-billion-dollar Eurobond.

The agreement, which features terms for subscription rights for a new international bond to be issued in the future, is the second such deal between Ethiopia and bondholders this year, and follows the rejection of the first agreement in principle reached in January.

Ministry officials and members of the Ad Hoc Committee, along with their legal and financial advisors, finalized the terms of the deal following negotiations that lasted through most of the past month, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance today.

While the terms have not yet been made public, the statement indicates they include an understanding on an instrument known as a detachable warrant, which grants investors subscription rights for a new international bond that they can trade independently of the existing bond from 2014.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

From The Reporter Magazine

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the terms of the new agreement in principle, as have the co-chairs (China and France) of Ethiopia's Official Creditors Committee (OCC), according to the statement.

However, the agreement is still dependent on the approval of the remaining members of the OCC.

The deal will come as a relief to Ethiopian officials, who saw their last agreement in principle with the Ad Hoc Committee rejected by the OCC on grounds that it violated the Comparability of Treatment principle under the G20 Common Framework, under which Ethiopia has been seeking debt treatment for over five years.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.