Belarusian foreign debt rises by almost quarter to $16.7 bln in 2017
MINSK. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Belarus had state foreign debt of $16.7 billion as of
January 1, 2017, adjusted for exchange-rate differences, up $3.1 billion or 22.6% over the year, the Finance Ministry said.
Belarus in 2017 raised a total of $4.041 billion in foreign loans, including $1.4 billion through a Eurobond placement, $1.31 billion from the Russian government and Russian banks, $800 million from the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD), $306.6 million from Chinese banks, $159.4 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and $65.2 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB).
Foreign debt repayments in 2017 amounted to $1.029 billion, including $364.3 to the Russian government, $353.1 million to the EFSD, $245.8 million to Chinese Banks, $62.1 million to the IBRD, $3.6 million to the U.S. and $0.5 million to the EBRD and NIB.
Internal debt amounted to 9.2 billion Belarusian rubles, adjusted for exchange-rate differences, down 1.1 billion Belarusian rubles or 10.3% in 2017.
For the reporting period, domestic currency and ruble-denominated government bonds worth $449.9 million and 200 million Belarusian rubles were placed in favor of legal entities and private individuals. Government bonds worth $1.290 billion and 189.7 million Belarusian rubles were redeemed.
Overall public debt rose 14.1% or 5.2 billion Belarusian rubles to 42.2 billion Belarusian rubles in 2017.
As reported, on January 1, 2017 Belarusian foreign debt stood at $13.6 billion, rising 9.6% in 2016. Internal debt was 10.2 billion Belarusian rubles, increasing 5% over the year.
The official exchange rate on January 31 - 2.4514 Belarusian rubles/$1.