The Senate has kicked against the $5.5billion loan request by President Muhammadu Buhari insisting the money could be generated internally from the various revenue generating agencies if well monitored. The president who had sent a letter to the senate seeking for the approval, said the the first loan of $2.5 is for the financing of the deficit in the 2017 Budget and capital expenditure projects in the same budget. He also explained that;
“With respect to the Terms and Conditions of the proposed External Borrowings, the Senate may wish to note that being market-based transactions, the terms and conditions of the borrowings can only be determined at the point of issuance of finalisation based on prevailing market conditions in the International Capital Market (lCM),” he said.
The request had generated alot of controversy, however, Buhari inJustifying his loan request of $2.5 billion, had invited the Senate to “note that “The balance of the 2017 External Borrowing, in the sum USD3.2 billion is planned to be partially sourced from issuance in the ICM of USD2.5 billion through Eurobonds or a combination of Eurobonds and Diaspora Bonds, while USD700 million is proposed to be raised from multilateral sources.
“It should be noted that the intention is to issue the Eurobonds first, with the objective of raising all the funds through Eurobonds, and that Diaspora Bonds will only be issued where the full amount cannot be raised through Eurobonds.
”Explaining the main reason for this segment of the loans, the president said: “The Senate may wish to note that the proceeds from the proposed issuance of Eurobonds (and Diaspora Bond) in the lCM would be used to finance the deficit in the 2017 Appropriation Act and provide funding for the capital projects in the Budget.
”He listed the projects which include the Mambilla Hydropower Project, construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, counterpart funding for rail projects and the construction of the Bode-Bonny Road, with a bridge across the Opobo Channel.
On the $3 billion for refinancing of domestic debts, he said: “In addition to the implementation of the external borrowing approved in the 2017 Appropriation Act, in order to reduce debt service levels and lengthen the tenor profile of the Debt Stock, the FGN seeks to substitute maturing domestic debt with less expensive long-term External Debt.
“The FGN plans to source USD 3.0 billion through the issuance of Eurobonds in the lCM and/or loan syndication by banks as approved by the Federal Executive Council at its meeting of August 9, 2017.
“It is important to note that the proposed sourcing of billion dollars from external sources to re-finance maturing domestic debt will not lead to an increase in the public debt portfolio because the debt already exists, albeit in the form of high-interest short-term domestic debt.