RE: What's the new week have in store for us?24 Apr 2024 08:04
From the GM statement a month ago and the recent interview, it is clear that the lead bank approval kicked off all other parties. So we are about 6 weeks in on a clear roadmap.
In October 2023, the National Bank of Ethiopia (the central bank) approved essential exemptions from exchange and capital controls. This satisfied the third of the three critical conditions precedent for the syndicate to proceed, as had been foreshadowed. Then, in December 2023, the lead lending bank, Eastern and Southern Trade and Development Bank, a key member of the financing syndicate, gave final credit committee approval for its US$95 million project loan. This was also ratified by its country-members' board in February. The other members of the syndicate, being the co-lender (US$95 million) and the equity risk note investors (US$100 million) (all major regional corporations) duly activated their approval processes. A longstanding and a large MNC investor in the Equity Risk Note ("ERN") has now received its initial board approvals.
The steps now underway to progress Tulu Kapi funding package are:
· Finalisation of approvals by the rest of the financing syndicate following the recent approval by the lead bank;
· Preparation of the community for resettlement;
· Satisfaction of conditions precedent such as readiness of security, insurances, title confirmations, perfection of banks' security and similar formal documentary requirements; and
· Completion of detailed definitive documentation which will require all syndicate parties to approve counterparty rights and obligations, among other things.
After approval by all syndicate members, we can then proceed by mid-2024 to:
· Sign the Definitive Documentation between the respective syndicate counterparties;
· Place insurances and complete other administrative tasks;
· Draw down first capital, starting with project equity and then debt months later;
· Commence staged resettlement of approximately 350 households near Tulu Kapi; and
· Begin procurement and tendering local sub-contractors.
We are following this clear roadmap, and we will report material milestones along the way.