The Ghanaian cedi has faced significant challenges, falling by over 30% in 2022. However, a pending $360 million disbursement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to provide a vital boost to Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and support efforts to stabilize the currency.
Recent improvements in foreign exchange liquidity have bolstered the cedi’s performance. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) contributed to this by injecting $93.05 million through daily auctions and an additional $20 million for Bulk Oil Distributing Companies. This intervention allowed the cedi to recover by 1.85% against the US dollar in a week, while also gaining 1.35% against the British pound and 1.17% against the euro.
As of last week’s close, the cedi was trading at a mid-rate of GH¢16.25 to the US dollar. On December 2, 2024, it was quoted at GH¢16.50 per dollar on the retail market and GH¢15.20 on the interbank market. Despite these recent gains, the cedi’s depreciation since the beginning of the year stands at 25.08%.
The Bank of Ghana reported a slight month-on-month increase of 0.77% in the country’s foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $5.2 billion in October 2024, up from $5.16 billion in September. This increase was slower than the 1.95% rise recorded in the previous month, attributed to BoG’s $376.3 million intervention in October to support the cedi.
While these measures have temporarily stabilized the currency, analysts caution that continued market interventions could deplete Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves, posing long-term risks to the country’s financial stability.
Source: TheDotNews