S&P, Fitch ratings on Ghana unjustifiable – African Peer Review Mechanism

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S&P, Fitch ratings on Ghana unjustifiable – African Peer Review Mechanism
Ken Ofori Atta

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has taken a swipe at the recent downgrade of Ghana's economy by rating agency S&P and , saying, the unjustified negative rating actions in Africa since the beginning of 2022 as unwarranted and contrasting the continent's economic recovery efforts from the devastating impact of the pandemic.

The APRM, which has the mandate from the Assembly to support African countries in the area of credit ratings, said the rating agencies' actions. is compounding the complexity of driving the economic recovery process and making current fiscal measures ineffective.

Both S&P and a few weeks ago downgraded Ghana's credit ratings to junk status.

But the APRM said “It has noted with concern the increase in the number of negative rating actions against African countries by the three international rating agencies.

The downgrade of Ghana is the latest such rating action in which the country's long-term foreign currency sovereign rating was lowered further into junk grade, from B- to CCC+ with a negative outlook and B- to CCC by S&P and Fitch on the 5th and 10th August 2022, respectively.

This is the third and fourth consecutive rating downgrades on Ghana by the three major international rating agencies since the beginning of 2022.”

“The APRM corroborates with the Government of Ghana in expressing its reservations on the decisions by the international rating agencies to downgrade Ghana despite the credit-positive policies being implemented to address various macro-fiscal challenges that the country is facing”, it explained.

Furthermore, it pointed out that whilst the effects of the pandemic and the severe global shock of the crisis in on Ghana, highlighted by S&P and Fitch can be acknowledged, the speculative comments and rating actions by the international rating agencies in the first half of 2022 materially contributed to the country's losing access to international financial markets.

In view of the continuing trend of negative credit rating actions on the continent, the APRM called for a coordinated response to address the ongoing speculative pessimism by analysts and for ratings to be enablers rather than impediments of economic recovery, adding, “The response mechanisms include regulatory measures, developing alternative ratings and alternative fundings sources”.

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