The new think tank dedicated to the debts and financing of African economies and created on the initiative of Nicolas Jean of the Parisian law firm Gide was launched in Abidjan. During the panel organized on the occasion of the launching ceremony, it was a question of virtuous debts.

Three Togolese personalities are part of it. Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Secretary General of the Presidency of Togo, Kako Nubukpo, WAEMU Commissioner, and Félix Edoh Kossi Amenounve, Managing Director of BRVM (Abidjan Stock Exchange) and President of ASEA (Association of African Stock Exchanges) .
Félix Edoh Kossi Amenounve raised the question ''Who owns the African debt? ''In countries like China, Japan or the United States, debt is mostly held by central banks (70% in Japan; 15.9% in the United States) or local financial institutions and individuals ( 57.5% in the United States) who are more familiar with the risk of their countries. The African debt is, for its part, largely held externally (21% by China and 31% in Eurobonds) with a questionable real or perceived risk assessment.
According to the number 1 of the Regional Stock Exchange, one of the solutions to the problem of the perception of risk and the high cost of debt is for African debt to be held mainly locally. A track on which A New Road is committed to working.
For her part, Minister Sandra Johnson pleads for debt sustainability in Africa. The rapid and significant re-indebtedness of Africa is becoming a major concern for personalities in the political and economic spheres, at a time when the health crisis linked to Covid-19 is having a strong impact on State revenues. At a time when measures are being taken at the international level, such as the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (ISSD) relating to the postponement of the repayment of the public debt, this think tank intends to carry out reflections to find pathways and sustainable solutions to better address the continent's debt.
"One of the pleas is to revisit the existing provisions to see to what extent we can defend this situation and allow our States to benefit from relatively long maturity rates," declared Minister Sandra Ablamba Johnson. She also underlined the importance of a public-private partnership to support development and growth.
The Think tank wishes to deepen, alongside governments and civil society organizations, subjects relating to the questioning relating to the relevance of the use of certain ratios which restrict the debt capacity of countries undergoing economic change.