Author: Christina C. Laskaridis

Christina Laskaridis is PhD candidate in Economics at SOAS, University of London, a former Research Fellow at Duke University鈥檚 Center for the History of Political Economy, and co-convenes The Politics of Economics seminar series at the University of Cambridge and the podcast Ceteris Never Paribus.

Debt Moratoria in the Global South in the Age of Coronavirus

Christina C. Laskaridis4 Comments

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Official calls are mounting. On March 23, African Finance Ministers met virtually to discuss their efforts on the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. Amidst a broad recognition of chronic financing gaps to meet development and climate objectives, they called for a on all debt interest payments, including the potential for principal payments for fragile states. The United Nations General Secretary addressed the G20 emergency meeting conference call on COVID-19. Along with calls for medical and protective equipment, the need to was stressed, 鈥渋ncluding immediate waivers on interest payments for 2020鈥�. The World Bank President addressed the emergency G20 Finance Ministers encouraging bilateral IDA relief without missing the opportunity 听

replete with grand aspirations, but no timeframe specified to fulfil them, was vague in respect to debt issues and far short of what is needed: 鈥淲e will continue to address risks of debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries due to the pandemic.鈥� Hardly commensurate to the alarm bells that have been ringing over the past five years of growing debt difficulties in a number of countries.听Read More »