Sao Tome and Principe benefits from the debt service suspension initiative

In application of the term sheet of the Debt service suspension Initiative (DSSI) also endorsed by the G20, the Paris Club recognized that the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe is eligible to benefit from the initiative. Therefore, the representatives of the Paris Club Creditor Countries have accepted to provide to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe a time-bound suspension of debt service due from 1^st May to 31^st December 2020.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe is committed to devote the resources freed by this initiative to increase spending in order to mitigate the health, economic and social impact of the COVID19-crisis. The Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe is also committed to seek from all its other bilateral official creditors a debt service treatment that is in line with the agreed term sheet.

This initiative will also contribute to help the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe to improve debt transparency and debt management.

Paris Club creditors will continue to closely coordinate with other stakeholders in the implementation phase of this initiative, in particular when considering a possible extension of the suspension period.

Background notes

1. The Paris Club was formed in 1956. It is an informal group of official creditors whose role is to find coordinated and sustainable solutions to the payment difficulties experienced by borrower countries.

2. The members of the Paris Club which participate in the reorganization of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe’s debt are the governments of Belgium and Brazil. Portugal participates also in the reorganization of the debt of the borrower country.

Observers to the agreement are representatives of the governments of Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

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