Tunisia has honoured all its external financial commitments for 2023," Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani stressded during a meeting on Tuesday with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Director Kristalina Georgieva, in the margins of his participation in the Davos World Economic Forum, specifying that "the country will not delay the payment of its external debts for 2024." The PM highlighted during the meeting, the financial and technical cooperation process with the Fund, according to a Prime Ministry press release. Hachani reviewed the efforts exerted by the Tunisian State in various fields, leading to the improvement of many economic and financial indicators, despite the major challenges facing the country, underlining that Tunisia is forging ahead with reforms that meet the expectations of the Tunisian people and the requirements of the national economy and social peace. The IMF Director considered that Tunisia is one of the countries that have succeeded in achieving positive economic and financial results de spite the difficulties it is confronting, due mainly to external factors, the same source said. Georgieva explained that the Fund's general policy does not follow dictates but takes into account the specific characteristics of each country, expressing her openness to all proposals regarding cooperation with Tunisia. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse Fidelity Bank Ghana has been awarded for its outstanding contributions in promoting lending in Ghana's agriculture sector.?

The Bank, which is?Ghana's largest privately-owned institution,?was adjudged the Most Responsive Partner Financial Institution of the Year and the Highest Staff Participation?in GIRSAL's Agricultural and Agribusiness Finance Training Program.

The awards were given by?Ghana Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Project (GIRSAL).

The 'Most Responsive Partner Financial Institution of the Year' award recognised the Bank's steadfast dedication to agility and proactive problem-solving.

Such dedication was exemplified during the Akosombo Dam spillage last year, when the Bank swiftly collaborated with GIRSAL to provide crucial assistance to affected clients.

The Bank, in its commitment, sent over 120 staff members, from credit officers to relationship managers, to gain specialised expertise in agribusiness finance, a demonstration of building its workforce.?

Mr Julian Opuni, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank, expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed the Bank's commitment to working with GIRSAL to drive positive change.?

'We are committed to growing the agriculture sector to ensure that, as an indigenous bank, Fidelity will be at the forefront of impacting the agriculture sector,' he stated.

Fidelity Bank in 2019 started a collaboration with GIRSAL to strengthen the Bank's position in the agricultural space and through the partnership, the Bank had provided guarantees for facilities and technical expertise on a case-by-case basis, resulting in a robust Agric portfolio.

It has since played a vital role in supporting various actors within the agricultural ecosystem, including input providers, primary producers, aggregators, processors, and exporters.

The Bank has leveraged GIRSAL's expertise to navigate challenges whilst providing funding of GHS 135 million across various value chains in the sector.

Source: Ghana News Agency