Bussiness
Government accepts all bids worth ¢1.68bn for 2-yr bond; gets favourable yield
Government accepted all bids worth about ¢1.68 billion for the 2-year bond auctioned on Thursday 2 December, 2021 at a favourable price.
This came after the 2022 Budget and Economic Policy was approved by Parliament.
The interest rate or yield of the debt instrument was however pegged at the upper band of 19.75%, but is a rate many analysts consider as encouraging.
This is because the interest rates on the secondary market are presently going for more than 20%.
Senior Economic Analyst at Databank Research, Courage Martey said “within the context of prevailing market conditions, it is satisfactory to see that the Treasury was able to cover its calendar target. On the pricing side, it’s also very impressive to note that the Treasury was able to price this transaction below where the secondary market was trading for similar tenors [periods].”
“Currently on the secondary market, the 2023 tenors are going for above the 20% handle. So it’s quite impressive to see the Treasury clearing a new 2-year tenor (2023 maturity) below 20%”, he added.
He however asked questions such as “what is not clear is how the secondary market would react to this new trade, in terms of pricing. Are we going to see a downward correction in the secondary levels from the 20% area to converge with the 19.75% area?”
In recent times, the market has been encountering liquidity challenges, as analysts attributed the financial challenges to a combination of factors including the sustainability of the rising debt, inflation, and the fiscal deficit.
This is manifested from Treasury bills sale which has been undersubscribed.
It’s therefore unclear how the month of December, which apparently is the last month of 2021 will pan out with regard to the sale of T-Bills.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
Ghana’s gold and minerals sector is set for a major spotlight as Meetings. Co, in partnership with key industry stakeholders, announces the Mining & Minerals Convention 2025, scheduled from August 26-27, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Ghana’s Gold Industry,”‘ the Convention will convene government leaders, regulators, miners, refiners, investors, sustainability partners, innovators, and responsible mining, and global competitiveness,policy experts to explore strategies that position Ghana’s gold industry for long-term growth.
The two-day convention will feature presidential and ministerial keynote addresses, industry thought leadership, technical paper presentations, policy dialogues, fireside chats, exhibitions, and high-level networking sessions.
Convention delegates can anticipate a dynamic and insightful experience, marked by thought leadership from leading policymakers and regulators, in-depth discussions on key topics such as sustainability, ESG, digital gold, and responsible sourcing, as well as valuable opportunities to forge public-private partnerships and investment deals.
Moreover, the event will offer practical action points aimed at unlocking greater economic value for Ghana.
The 2025 edition will be supported by a strong coalition of strategic partners, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Minerals Commission, GoldBod, the Minerals Income and Investment Fund (MIIF), and the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI).
The Minister for Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed that a sum of nine hundred and Eighty-Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Five thousand and Seventy-Three Ghana Cedis (GHS987,965,073.00) from the Consolidated Fund into the District Assembly Common Fund Account, being the first quarter amount due to the DACF.
Furthermore, the Finance Minister informed the House that a total amount of Two Billion, Thirty- Three Million, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,033,469,607) has been disbursed to the National Health Insurance Fund.
While the Ghana Education Trust Fund has also received a total of Two Billion, Seven and Ten Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven Ghana Cedis (GHS2,710,227,947.00) for the months January, February, March and April,2025.
The Finance Minister disclosed this in his statement to Parliament on the payments to statutory funds on the floor of the House.
In addition, he cautioned that the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund is required to ensure that 80% of this amount is transferred directly to the Assemblies without fail and expenditure returns submitted to the Ministry of Finance before subsequent releases will be made.
He added that Members are encouraged to monitor the utilization of these amounts sent to their respective Assemblies in line with the approved guidelines by Cabinet.
In his closing remark, Ato Forson said he’s going to take the concerns of the House seriously.
For his part, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga made known the President’s prioritization of women in the country stating that President Mahama is “Pro-women”.
This is due to the fact that women are going to be the core beneficiaries from the expenditures going to be made by the MMDA’s, he added.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin questioned the Finance Minister why road contractors have not been paid for more than five months. He said the Minister must not be applauded for since the allocation of these funds were long overdue.
