The new governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, un resumption of office today will be inheriting a debt burden of N418.2 billion from the outgoing administration.
The debt burden, though accompanied with a repayment plan lasting 40 years plus, is an astronomical increase from the N15 billion Babatunde Fashola (SAN) inherited from his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in 2007 when he took over.
Bloom Gist has learnt that the debt, from the breakdown, which has been bequeathed to Ambode showed that the Fashola administration has a domestic debt of N69.666 billion, which it obtained from borrowing from banks; N225 billion from bond issuance and N207.499 billion external loan from foreign bodies.
But the Lagos State Government is quick to defend its position, saying its debt profile is sustainable, quoting Agusto and Co, Global Credit Rating (GCR) and Fitch Ratings to justify its position on the debt sustainability.
Commissioner for Finance, Ayo Gbeleyi said government’s huge debts were sustainable, as it would not constitute a burden to the incoming government.
Gbeleyi stated that the internal loans from Commercial Banks have tenors of four to six years, while the Multilateral Agency Financing-World Bank, French Development Agency and others are generally on concessionary borrowing terms, such as 20 – 40 years tenor and average of 1.75 per cent per annum interest rate On the Debt Issuance Programme of N275 billion, in which N50 billion was paid last year, leaving a balance of N225 billion currently outstanding, he disclosed that government had over N100.73 billion as at March 2015 in its Sinking Fund reserve for repayment.
On the Commercial Bank debt of N69.666 billion, Gbeleyi added that the incoming government is expected to pay N14.27 billion this year; N13.68 billion in 2016; N34.68 billion in 2017 and the balance of N6.85 billion in 2018.
On the overall loan of N418.2 billion, the mode of payment, according to the commissioner, is that the Ambode government would pay N15.96 billion in 2015; N16.796 billion in 2016; N48.57 billion in 2017 and N10.644 billion in 2018, while the next government after Ambode in 2019 would service the remaining debt by paying N59.313 billion in 2019; N86.54 billion in 2020 as the remaining N180.397 billion would transcend beyond 2020.
