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St Vincent’s public debt stands at $2.1 billion as of Sept. 30, 2022

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As of September 30th, 2022, the total public debt amounted to two billion and one hundred and sixty-six million, five hundred and sixty thousand, eight hundred and two dollars ($2,166,560,802).  This figure is 4.1 percent more than the total disbursed outstanding public debt for the comparative period in 2021.

The total Domestic Debt which amounted to $555.0 million as of September 30, 2022, increased by 6.3 percent or $32.8 million when compared with the domestic debt for the same period in 2021.

The external debt for the period stood at $1.611 billion, an increase of 3.4 percent or $53.3 million when compared with the external debt as of September 30, 2021.

The main changes within the domestic debt portfolio over the period are as follows:

The balance outstanding on Overdrafts owed by the public sector increased by $17.6 million or 33.8 percent. The Local Loans portfolio fell by 9.2 percent or $10.6 million, as a result of amortization on a number of loans during the period.

Total Government Bonds and Notes issued and outstanding over the period increased by $51.8 million or 19.9 percent.

As of September 30, 2022, there was an increase in external debt by $53.3 million or 3.4 percent when compared to 2021.  The main drivers accounting for this change in the external indebtedness of the Government are the following;

Caribbean Development bank

Port Modernisation Project $69.4 m

Safety Nets for Vulnerable Population affected by COVID19 $16.1 m

School Improvement Project Phase I $11.9 m

NDM Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation $3.7 m

TECH VOC Education & Training Development $7.3 m

World Bank/IDA

Volcano Eruption Emergency Response Project (VEEP) $30.9 m

Caribbean Regional Digital Transformation Project $4.5 m

OECS Regional Health Project $4.3 m

Human Development Service Delivery Project $4.4 m

Republic of China (on Taiwan) ROC

Modern High Court Project $6.8 m

Hotel Development Project $10.8 m

CARICOM Development Fund

Country Assistance Programme II (Hotel Development) $3.4

Notwithstanding the above, net repayments were recorded on a number of external loans during the period. Some of the more significant ones are:

$4.8 million repaid on some IMF loans;

$6.8 million repaid on ROC loans;

$11.8 million repaid on loans owed to the ALBA

$1.6 million paid on loans from CARICOM Development Fund (CDF)

$5.9 million paid on World Bank/IDA loans

The Public Debt as of September 30 2022 is comprised as follows:

Type of Debt Amount  %  of total
Domestic $ 555.0 m 25.6 %
External $ 1,611.5 m 74.4 %
TOTAL $2,166.6 m 100.0 %

Total debt service for 2023 is estimated at $282.9 million or 37.2 percent of the Current Revenue.  The Debt Service requirements for 2023 are made up of:

Interest Payments $ 80.3 m

Amortization $180.6 m

Sinking Fund Contributions $  22.0 m

$282.9 m

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Ernesto is a senior journalist with the St. Vincent Times. Having worked in the media for 16 years, he focuses on local and international issues. He has written for the New York Times and reported for the BBC during the La Soufriere eruptions of 2021.
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