News

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva attends the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 3, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Private and sovereign creditors should accelerate work on debt restructuring efforts for countries like Chad, Zambia and Ethiopia or risk discouraging countries that need help from participating, International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva told the Reuters Next conference on Friday.

“Get it done,” she said, calling for more timely debt restructuring agreements and agreement to freeze debt service payments once a country applies for help under the Common Framework set up by the G20 economies and the Paris Club.

“Why would they participate if it takes forever, and during that time, they are still expected to service debt?” she said.