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Kenyan Port of Mombasa, largest port in East Africa, records highest transshipment traffic

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The Mombasa Port in Kenya, reputed to be the largest in the whole of East Africa, is experiencing its highest volume of traffic in substantive transshipment business as more ships evade berthing delays and waiting at the neighboring Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Official statistics released on Tuesday by the Kenya Ports Authority indicate that at the beginning of this month, 7, 894 Twenty Feet Equivalent Units (TEUS) transshipment to the Dar es Salaam port landed at the Port of Mombasa to await nomination for second carriers to the ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

The statistics also revealed that the Mombasa Port has witnessed a noticeable growth in transshipment volumes by an average of 2.5 percent in the last one month, making it one of the busiest in the world.

“Over the last one month, the Port of Mombasa has handled over 10 feeder ships transshipping from the Port of Dar es Salaam with containers advancing her opportunities for a regional transshipment hub.

“MSc Shipping Line, the second top on the world’s liner rankings has confirmed using the port of Mombasa until the situation normalizes in Dar es Salaam. Others include CMA CGM and Maersk Shipping Lines,” the Kenyan Ports Authority said.

The General Manager Operations, Sudi Mwasinago, also confirmed that amongst the shipping lines discharging transshipments at the Port of Mombasa for Dar es Salaam, MSC accounts for 75 percent of the total transshipment volumes while CMA CGM and Maersk accounted for 24 percent and 9 percent respectively.

He said following the significant rise in transshipment business, MSc increased to three feeder services to Mombasa, on a weekly basis service.

Mwasinago noted that the delay of the MSc vessels at the port of Dar es Salaam means that more traffic is diverted to the Port of Mombasa.

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Ghana seeks to hasten debt restructuring talks

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Barely days after Zambia announced a significant development in resolving its protracted debt restructuring,  Mohammed Amin Adam, Ghana’s Finance Minister, declared on Tuesday that the administration intended to move the debt restructuring talks along quickly.

The West African nation is now in negotiations to restructure bonds worth roughly $13 billion with foreign investors. In December 2022, Ghana defaulted on the majority of its $30 billion in external debt due to escalating debt payments and inflation.

Tradeweb data indicates that the international bonds issued by Ghana experienced the largest increase, with a jump of up to 1.1% on the dollar, to 42.67 cents for the May 2029 maturity.

Ghana, one of the first nations in Africa to default on its foreign debt and a major producer of oil, gold, and cocoa, is experiencing the worst economic collapse in a generation, characterized by double-digit inflation and skyrocketing public debt.

Most indebted African countries have applied for a debt restructuring plan under the G20 framework; although the agreement has not yet been finalized. Ghana, Ethiopia, Chad, and Zambia are some of the countries that formally defaulted on their national debt.

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Zambia seals $3 billion international bond rework

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In a significant development that moves the nation closer to exiting its protracted debt restructuring, Zambia has announced that it has achieved an agreement with a consortium of private creditors on the restructuring of $3 billion of its foreign bonds.

According to the most recent agreement, Zambia’s three current instruments would be converted into two amortizing bonds, one of which would have higher repayment rates if the nation’s economic prospects and capacity to manage its debt were better.

“History has been made!” President Hakainde Hichilema said on social media platform X. “We are pleased to announce the agreement with our Eurobond holders.”

With some substantive changes, the nature of Monday’s proposal is similar to a preliminary agreement that was struck late last year but was later abandoned because official creditors, who include nations like China and France, rejected it.

Bondholders’ total claim against the country increased to $3.98 billion as a result of accrued unpaid interest; however, under the terms of the revised agreement, investors will get bonds with a face value of $3.05 billion, down from the $3.135 billion that was initially suggested in October.

Being the first African country to default on its foreign debt following the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and has been keen on a restructuring of the debt. However, the lengthy delays in the process have hindered much-needed investments, slowed down economic growth, and put pressure on the regional financial markets.

After a proposal to restructure $3 billion in Eurobonds was rejected by its official creditors, Zambia struggled to restart its debt restructuring process. According to international media, China and other creditors did not think the proposed debt relief granted by the government matched that of the bondholders.

A terrible drought that has been labelled a national calamity and is affecting the production of food and hydropower has made the situation worse, although its currency, the Kwacha has been on the rise despite the odds.

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