Ghana to hold roadshow next week ahead of Eurobond sale

ACCRA, April 1 (Reuters) - Finance officials from Ghana will meet investors in London and New York next week ahead of the likely launch of a new Eurobond, Finance Minister Seth Terkper said on Friday.

Terkper said the government plans to use the meetings to showcase the turnaround of the economy and its medium-term potential. The meetings will also be used to assess market conditions ahead of a bond launch, he told Reuters.

Ghana, which exports cocoa, gold and oil, is currently under a three-year deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to repair the economy, dogged by a high budget deficit, public debt and inflation consistently above government targets.

The central bank's governor recently resigned after struggling to manage the West African economy, once considered a star in the region.

But Terkper said he expected more favourable market conditions this year based on improvements in the Ghanaian economy, especially the potentials of the energy sector.

"I am hoping to get a good yield, based on facts and based on what I am presenting to the markets," he told Reuters, adding that the size of the bond has yet to be decided.

The country issued a 15-year $1 billion Eurobond in October with a yield of 10.75 percent after having first targeted a $1.5 billion bond at 9.5 percent. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) was the fourth sale since its 2007 debut.

Parliament in December approved the government's plans to issue a fifth Eurobond of up to $1 billion to refinance debt and support its 2016 budget.

The 275-member House endorsed the plan by a majority decision, although the opposition had attempted to block the proposal, arguing that market conditions were unsuitable.

Terkper said he would consider other options of financing including commercial loans but did not give details.

The economy has become a critical political issue ahead of elections in November. Some have feared that the government's tight fiscal control could slip amid spending for the polls but Terkper insisted the government was committed to the programme.

"The only challenge is that markets are still volatile - we are watching the external factors, especially crude oil prices," he said, adding that the government was monitoring keenly and would react appropriately.

He said the government is poised to sustain efforts to attract private investments into the power generation and particularly the oil and gas sector.

"We have an opportunity with petrochemicals and we have to take advantage of it," he said.

Ghana is expected to deliver the first oil from its new Tweneboah-Enyenra-Ntomme field by August, according to lead operator Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW.L - news) .

Oil from the Offshore Cape Three Point project is also expected to start production next year. (Editing by Makini Brice and Hugh Lawson)