In-depth

Ethiopia seeks to speed up reforms via new debt vehicle

While a new public corporation to deal with debts is a step in the right direction,  financing it is a major challenge.

In the first half of the last decade, there was a focus on Ethiopia’s considerable economic growth and infrastructure development.

However, also during that period, the debt stock grew at a fast rate. The previous administration implemented a debt-reliant strategy that ran out of steam after loans were invested in underperforming ventures.

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) borrowed copiously from local and international lenders for the expansion and commencement of megaprojects that were expected to boost the manufacturing sector and exports.

Due to poor management, inefficient investments, and corruption, these enterprises sometimes failed to achieve their objectives and so struggled to service their debts.

Consequently, the economy has been experiencing an increasing level of debt distress.

Still, as Brook Taye, a senior advisor at the Ministry of Finance, points out, although debt servicing is burdensome—especially when projects aren’t able to help with repayments—the nation’s debt-to-export ratio and debt-servicing capacity are more of a problem than total debt. “Our debt-to-GDP ratio of around 50 percent is better than most African countries, we still have room to borrow.”

Brook added that as export growth has lagged, a debt re-profiling exercise aims to revert the country’s debt distress risk from high to moderate in the next three years.

Improving the debt vulnerability status potentially allows differing debt payments, which would provide the government space to channel resources to other projects. When debt-servicing obligations mature in a few years’ time, the country would be in a better economic position, according to Brook.

He added that overall exports are growing, the government isn’t borrowing on commercial terms, concessional loans are not extensive, and, as a result, the debt stock is shrinking.

Meanwhile, heavily indebted state enterprises generating income that is incompatible with their liabilities created the need for a debt-servicing mechanism that is reliant on a source other than the SOEs’ revenues.

Asset management

In February, the Council of Ministers enacted a Regulation for the establishment of the Liability and Asset Management Corporation (LAMC), a public enterprise whose mandate is to overtake and service residual debts of state-owned enterprises and manage residual assets and liabilities of privatized enterprises.

The corporation, supervised by the Ministry of Finance, was authorized to receive 570-billion birr ($11.5 billion) worth of capital, to be allocated to it mainly from the Industrial Development Fund (IDF).

According to Brook, the genesis of LAMC was laid under the Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda. The intended beneficiaries are heavily indebted SOEs, such as Ethiopian Railway Corporation, Ethiopian Electric Power, and the Sugar Corporation.

“This debt re-profiling exercise would create the fiscal space for the government to engage in further activities to support the economic reform,” he says.

In August, with the Ministry of Finance as a guarantor, LAMC overtook 398.7 billion birr from debts owed to the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia by six state-owned enterprises: Ethiopia Electric Power, Ethiopia Electric Utility, Ethio-Engineering Group (formerly MeTEC), Chemical Industry Corporation, Ethiopian Railways Corporation and Ethiopian Sugar Corporation.

Deputy Chairman of LAMC, Mulualem Getahun, told Ethiopia Insight that the corporation so far received 36.5 billion birr ($850m), proceeds from a telecom license sale to Safaricom earlier in the year. In turn, it settled 34.1 billion birr with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, which had cumulatively been owed by the chemical, engineering, and electric utility enterprises.

    Debt transfer

The amount of debts transferred to LAMC from the above-mentioned six state enterprises was determined based on assessments of each enterprise’s payment capacity. The portion of liabilities exceeding their estimated debt-servicing capacity, designated as residual debts, will be serviced by LAMC.

This appraisal is based on a forecast of their future performance, which is made with consideration of “baseline” and “reform” scenarios. “The reform scenario takes into account possible reform measures that aim at increasing profitability down the road.” Mulualem explains.

Currently the corporation is aiming to pay 340 billion birr, debts which the railways, sugar and electric power corporations owe the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

“The debts overtaken from these enterprises are the biggest and more complicated to handle,” says Mulualem. “Some of the loans were taken based on political decisions rather than economic rationalities, thus the enterprises couldn’t pay them back. Such debt is an economic bottleneck and needs special handling and solutions.”

The corporation, for now, is focused on servicing domestic debts. However, when the G-20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative is finalized, the corporation will absorb loans borrowed from external lenders as well. Once foreign debts are transferred to LAMC, the corporation will be required to service an average of 100-billion birr debt per year, according to Mulualem.

The government’s current action to work out what portions of their total domestic debts major SOEs (e.g. railways, sugar, electricity) can and can’t service is a pragmatic first step, as it reveals the extent of the issue.

Mulualem commented that in the case of the Chemical Industry Corporation, it was determined that it can service the loan taken for the expansion of Mugher Cement Factory. LAMC, for its part, settled debts incurred for fertilizer production, which the corporation couldn’t repay.

Similarly, the power corporation and engineering group have been relieved of a portion of their debt, but are expected to service the rest on their own. In contrast, after going through the debt-repayment capacity assessment, the entire domestic and external debt of the railway corporation has been transferred to LAMC.

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The residual debts settled by the corporation for the chemicals corporation and Ethiopia Electricity Utility amount to a considerable majority of debts they incurred with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

In addition, LAMC is also mandated to overtake and administer residual assets of public enterprises that have been privatized, which would otherwise have been managed by a Board of Trustees that was established in 1996 as a public agency. While the board’s objective was limited to upkeep, LAMC is allowed to engage in ventures to transform such assets into income-generating ventures.

Transforming underutilized properties of public enterprises into income-generating ventures and administering other public assets that may be assigned to it by the government are also part of LAMC’s mandate.

Finally, the corporation is allowed to invest the injected capital until it is used for debt repayment. These activities are allowed as mechanisms that facilitate LAMC’s core mandate of debt servicing.

Securing funds

As mentioned, LAMC relies on the Industrial Development Fund (IDF) as a main source of capital. IDF is normally funded from profits made by SOEs, paid in as dividends, which average around 20-billion birr a year, according to Mulualem.

Other exceptional but significant contributions to the fund are proceeds from the privatization of SOEs and sales of licenses to the private sector, which are to be paid in full into it.

Apart from SOEs annually deposited dividends, the 36.5 billion birr acquired from the sale of a telecom license is the only contribution made to the IDF in the recent past. This is also the only capital injected into LAMC to date.

Commenting on the imbalance between LAMC’s capital resources and the debt-servicing requirements, Mulualem says that the IDF raises 20-billion birr a year, while LAMC seeks to service 100-billion birr a year. The mismatch means they are seeking a debt-service extension to bring down annual debt payments to 30 or 20 billion birr.

“We also need to invest in new ventures not addressed by the private sector to generate dividends,” he adds. “Otherwise, it will be difficult.”

Achieving a debt-service extension will be laborious, as there are a large number of loans that each require distinct renegotiations, says Mulualem.

Moreover, IDF has been used by state enterprises as a source of loans for expansions and projects such as railway construction. Now, LAMC has been added to the list of beneficiaries, although Mulualem says that IDF’s existing commitments will not be affected.

Property proceeds

Although the corporation is allowed to invest its capital until the maturation of debts it took over, it hasn’t engaged in any such activity yet.

Brook says the corporation can identify investment opportunities, such as time deposits, and also invest in under-utilized assets of public enterprises. “It is a growing economy with a lot of opportunities, and with finance and know-how it won’t be marginal but, rather, central,” he says.

Strategies and mechanisms that would allow LAMC to attain its objectives are still under discussion and the corporation is in the process of hiring consultants and employees.

According to Mulualem, due consideration is being given to several factors, such as: what portion of the IDF can be allocated to debt servicing; if dividends from state enterprises will improve, and, if they won’t, what other sources can be allocated to LAMC; the impact of debt rescheduling will have on the balance sheet, and; the liquidity of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

“It is a complicated macro-economic issue which requires a case-by-case evaluation of all relevant factors,” Mulualem said.

As stated by Brook, the mandates to utilize residual public assets and make temporary investments could prove profitable. Hence, LAMC needs an efficient structure to handle the bundle of tasks assigned to it, while simultaneously managing to fund its own operations.

It is in the process of acquiring possession of residual properties from around 120 privatized public enterprises. Moreover, it is also planning to lease idle government buildings to generate income and cover its running costs.

So far, LAMC has been operating with a handful of staff, but now that the setup of its headquarters has commenced, hiring will soon be underway.

Although it remains to be seen how its broad room for maneuver will be exploited, privatization proceeds are the only realistic way to keep LAMC financially afloat.

Thus, privatizing state enterprises is now of paramount importance in confronting the debt challenge.

Apart from being part of the liberalization policy, the resulting proceeds will be a major contribution towards debt servicing, avoiding a fiscal crisis, and creating room for economic reform initiatives.

Additionally, the decision to utilize capital acquired from the sale of state enterprises to service their debts is economically sound, and has also been advocated by economists.

Sugar projects and a second telecom license are next up for sale and Mulualem says, “the entire proceeds from these transactions must and will be injected into LAMC through IDF.”

Nonetheless, he expressed concern with the fact that privatization proceeds, while substantial, are still one-off contributions to the corporation’s capital and so do not represent a sustainable source of income.

Still, given the circumstances, the corporation counts on these two planned initial transactions to service debt it absorbed from the railways, sugar, and electric power corporations.

Meticulous and analytical

As part of economic liberalization measures, the administration is preparing to privatize major state enterprises.

The telecoms sector has been liberalized. The government is now looking to sell 40 percent of Ethio telecom and all Sugar Corporation projects, which will be accompanied by a significantly increased role for private companies in the energy sector.

The Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda envisages that privatization of SOEs will import capital, settle public enterprises’ debts, and improve service quality.

However, there are also potential drawbacks: the profit motive of private sectors conflicting with public interest, a natural monopoly status empowering large companies, and short-term profit-seeking at the cost of necessary long-term investment.

Brook agrees that transfers of public entities to private holdings have in many instances created problems and that in any society individuals trusted with public assets may not act in the country’s interests.

“To avoid repeating the mistake made by other nations, we’ve implemented a system with checks and balances; the new privatization law separates the pre-privatization, post-privatization, and the actual privatization activities,” he says.

Furthermore, extensive preliminary studies are being conducted to enable better decision-making, which is the main reason why no major state enterprise has been privatized under the current administration yet, according to Brook. “Significant amount of work needs to be done beforehand; this is not a rush job, rather it is analytical and meticulous.”

Still, the reform agenda hasn’t been without criticism, as some prominent Ethiopian economists questioned the ‘homegrown’ nature claimed by the government, arguing that, in fact, it was copied and pasted from the International Monetary Fund’s liberalizing playbook.

“Opinions aren’t always facts and the contents of the reform agenda testify that it is indeed homegrown,” says Brook in response.

His stand is that most Ethiopian economists know the macro-financial problems and recognize the need to make structural and sectoral reforms, handle debt burdens, arrest inflation, resolve the foreign currency shortage, and privatize public companies.

The inspiration from other nations’ success is the only foreign influence that Brook acknowledges. “We live in a global world, knowledge is there to be shared, and there is nothing wrong with emulating what worked for other countries.”

Ethiopia first

The public enterprises’ privatization proclamation allows different types of sales. The fundamentals for the choice are transparency and securing the most favorable terms for the government.

According to Brook, the preferred method for the upcoming privatization plans is competitive public tendering.

Ethiopia Insight asked him if the government has a preference towards domestic ownership.

The amended Investment Regulation will be the guideline as to which sectors are open for foreign investors. Banking, insurance and microfinance businesses, export trade of minerals, electric power distribution through integrated nation grid system, aircraft maintenance and ground handling, and related services are some areas of investment exclusively reserved for local investors.

Brook stresses that achieving the most beneficial outcome for Ethiopians and domestic investors is the Finance Ministry’s primary goal.

“Although sectors are open for foreign participation and we would like them to invest in Ethiopia and bring their finance, know-how, and advanced technology, ultimately, if there is a domestic participant who can enter a certain sector and flourish, we want to enable our own success stories,” he says. “Foreign participation is needed in sectors where we can’t have a competitive advantage. So, we’ll make a balance.”

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Encouraging domestic participation is expected of any government. However, for any benefit to materialize for the public, due regard must be given to the intertwined objectives of increasing available capital to these enterprises and improving the quality of services.

Particularly, the energy and telecom sectors, whose privatization has already been planned, have always been under state control. Accordingly, Ethiopian companies did not get the opportunity to accumulate experience. Such businesses, in which a high skill set is crucial and not yet available, are instances where local businesses lack a competitive advantage.

Ethiopia Insight asked Brook whether decisions regarding privatization and other economic reforms are somewhat political or purely based on economic analysis. His assessment is that although it might be difficult to separate the two, the current administration is pragmatic and works closely with technocrats.

“We analyze our status and deploy whatever solution we believe will solve the problems we identify,” he says. “Some people want to extend that and emphasize a certain political ideology to it, but ultimately we’re trying to implement what works for Ethiopia.”

Privatization decisions are made by the Council of Ministers with some support by the national macroeconomic committee, both of which comprise politicians.

At all stages of the process, decision-makers are sufficiently backed by experts. Brook offers the recent telecom liberalization as an example, as the recommendations of six international consulting companies were reviewed by an Ethiopian technical team.

Furthermore, the administration, as it seeks to reform a state-led economy, has broken away with tradition in Ethiopia and appointed young technocrats to key economic jobs, such as Brook himself. “Some people might question that, but it’s because the appointees have technical expertise,” he says.

Resolving the issue of SOE liabilities is crucial, although capital acquisition for servicing debts is almost fully reliant on privatization proceeds that are yet to be realized.

While this is a sensible approach for the government to take given the circumstances, the prevailing insecurity will hinder reform plans and exacerbate existing economic problems. The privatization proceeds needed for debt servicing are therefore at risk, as security concerns will likely depress the price that investors are willing to pay for assets.

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Main photo: Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide at the liability transfer agreement signed between SOEs and LAMC; 18 August 2021; Ministry of Finance.
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About the author

Leul Estifanos

Leul is a freelance court reporter and a law graduate of Addis Ababa University. He previously worked as a case reviewer at the Public Procurement and Property Disposal Service.

2 Comments

  • The present economic woe of the country will continue to be even worse as long as we hold on to the backward and deleterious philosophy and practice that are deeply engrained in our culture:of Amharic proverb “sishom yalbela sishar yikochewal ” meaning “lest you regret later ,plunder as much while you are in power.” Billions of dollars stashed away,by those in power,in many foreign banks while the people were reduced to skin and bone as the result of starvation. Then for the last half century or so there have been intellectuals and activists who preached and taught their followers that economic wealth would only come from expropriation of somebody’s resources. The last few decades foreign investors flocked in droves into the country for easy money making bonanza where they pay their worker a dollar or two a day ,got land leases at very low price and pay taxation on their business less than their local counterparts.The government should stand to its people and instruct them to pay better wages.But everyone knows that the investors pay kickbacks to government officials to keep their mouth shut. In many parts of Ethiopia people work far less hours than the rest of the world ,excepting poor African countries, devoting most of their time to munching chatt leaves and engaged in wasteful ,long and useless talks and conversations.Then there are wars being wages around the country among different ethnicities, money being spent on purchasing arms instead of ingera ;and people are dying en masse in hunger, famine and treatable diseases.The number of the population of the country is exploding uncontrolably while natural resources are shrinking by the day ,and the stench of the cities is unbearable because of overcrowding and the pollution that it entails.People and governments should focus their attention on war against poverty and famine and not people against people ,ethnicity against ethnicity.

  • As long as the tplf goons and their financial sabotage exist, there is not much to be done. Just get rid of all tplf assets in the country and possibly retrieve tplf salsawi funds in the west…..the damage done by this evil empire is irreparable. We have to start without them.

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