a) Edziban Foods Ltd has just signed a contract to sell food items worth GH¢120,000 per month to the School Feeding Secretariat on credit. With the average collection period expected to be 45 days, the company will increase its working capital requirement by GH¢177,534. The company’s managers are considering three options for financing the additional working capital requirement:

• Option 1 – Trade credit: The company buys about GH¢72,000 of food items per month on terms of “2.5/20, net 60.” Going forward, the company may choose to forgo the discount.
• Option 2 – Factoring: The company enters a non-recourse factoring contract, under which the factor takes up the receivables to be created from the credit sales under the contract (i.e., GH¢120,000 per month) for a fee of 2% of the credit sales. The average collection period for the credit sales will remain at 45 days. The factor will advance up to 80% of the face value of the average receivables at an annual interest rate of 16%. It has been estimated that the factor’s services will save the company GH¢1,500 per month in debt collection costs.
• Option 3 – Bank loan: The company takes a loan of GH¢197,260 at 15% from its bankers. A 10% compensating balance will be required.

Required:

i) Recommend the best financing option to the managers of the company based on annualized percentage cost.
(11 marks)

ii) Distinguish between “without recourse” factoring agreement and “with recourse” factoring agreement.
(4 marks)

b) Explain THREE (3) differences between a forward currency contract and a futures currency contract.
(5 marks)