- The Beninese Ministry of Economy and Finance of Benin, received the GlobalMarkets 2019 prize for the best sovereign debt manager in Sub-Saharan Africa, announces a press release published Tuesday evening in Cotonou. According to the same source, this award rewards the efforts of the Beninese Ministry of Economy and Finance to reveal Benin to international investors. Indeed, underlines the same source, 2019 was a pivotal year for Benin with the issuance of the first international bond of 500 million euros under very competitive conditions. "This feat is based on the substantial progress made since 2018 with, on the one hand, obtaining an inaugural 'B+' financial rating, placing Benin among the first countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and, on the other hand, the reprofiling public debt through an innovative structure hailed by all international observers including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank," the statement said. "GlobalMarkets also underlines that Benin has been able to gain the confidence of investors thanks to the efforts made to reduce the budget deficit while creating the conditions for strong and sustainable economic growth. This distinction is a consecration of the prudent management of the debt public by Benin in a context of economic openness", specifies the same source.