Ukrainian state debt grows 5.6% in Aug, 42.7% in eight months
KYIV. Sept 30 (Interfax) - Ukraine's combined state (direct) and government-guaranteed debt expanded 5.6% to $35.112 billion in August 2009, the Finance Ministry said.
Total debt increased 42.7%, or by $10.51 billion, in the first eight months of 2009.
In the national currency equivalent, combined debt increased 9.6% to 280.51 billion hryvni in August and 48.1% in the eight months.
The Finance Ministry said the increase in debt in the period was mainly a result of the loan from the IMF (4.4 billion SDR), issuance of state bonds and provision of state guarantees.
State and state-guaranteed external debt totaled $23.333 billion on August 31, amounting to 66.45% of total state debt. State and state-guaranteed domestic debt amounted to $11.779 billion. External debt shrank 1.1% in August but rose 25.9% in the first eight months of the year. Domestic debt increased 21.8% in August and 94.3% since the beginning of the year.
State direct debt at the beginning of September totaled $25.711 billion, up 7% in August and 51.5% in January-August, including totaled $15.397 billion direct external debt (down 2.2% in August but up 37.8% in the eight months) and $10.313 billion in domestic debt (up 24.5% and 77.8% respectively).
State-guaranteed debt at the beginning of September totaled $9.401 billion (up 1.8% in August and up 23.3% in the eight months), including $7.934 billion in guaranteed external debt (up 1% and 7.7% respectively) and guaranteed domestic debt totaled $1.466 billion (up 6% and 460%).
The official exchange rate on September 30 was 8.01 hryvni/$1.