Philippine sovereign debt, tumaas ng P14.5 trillion

NAKAPAGTALA ng bagong mataas na record ang  “sovereign debt stock”, “as of end-June” habang lumakas ang pangungutang ng gobyero para tustusan ang  financing requirement nito.

Ito ang makikita sa pinakabagong data mula sa Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

Pumalo sa P14.15 trillion ang total outstanding debt ng bansa , tumaas ng 0.4% mula sa P14.10 trillion “as of end-May.”

“The month-on-month increase was attributed “primarily due to the net issuance of domestic securities,” ayon sa Treasury.

Sa kabuuang debt balance, 68.6% ay nagmula locally habang ang natitira naman na  31.4%  ay mula sa foreign sources.

“Broken down, domestic debt totaled P9.70 trillion, up.2% from “as of end-May.” For the month, domestic debt growth amounted to P114.32 billion due to the net issuance of government bonds driven by the national government’s financing requirements,” ayon sa BTr.

Samantala, ang Foreign debt ay umabot naman sa P4.45 trillion, bumaba ng 1.4% month-on-month.

“The reduction in foreign debt was driven by the impact of currency adjustments affecting both US dollar- and third-currency equivalents leading to a decrease in the peso value of the debt, amounting to P69.98 billion and P8.28 billion, respectively,” ayon sa  Treasury.

“These more than offset the availment of foreign loans amounting to P15.25 billion,” ayon pa rin sa BTr.

Sa first quarter ng 2023,  ang  debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio ng bansa ay 61%, bumaba mula sa 63.5% sa first quarter ng 2022.

Ang debt-to-GDP ratio ay kumatawan naman sa halaga ng  debt stock ng gobyerno na may kaugnay sa laki ng ekonomiya.

Target naman ng pamahalaan na ibaba ang debt-to-GDP ratio ng mas mababa sa  60% sa  2025, at mas pababain pa ng hanggang 51.1% sa 2028, at tapyasan ang  budget deficit sa 3.0%  ng  GDP sa 2028.  (Daris Jose)